Mimosa flower buds - seeds possible?

Joanie

Carnivorous Plant Addict
Hi all

I'm really liking this mimosa (pudica, I think). It has developed about a dozen flower buds. I've done a bit of research online but wondering if anyone has any advice on pollinating/seeds?

Thanks in advance
Joanie

12748
 

WillyCKH

CPSC Moderator
Staff member
I remember this plant back when we lived in Hong Kong, it grows everywhere. As a kid it was my daily routine to poke as many of these plants when we walked to school.
Would be more amazing if it stays compact and have longer lasting flowers!
 

Joanie

Carnivorous Plant Addict
I remember this plant back when we lived in Hong Kong, it grows everywhere. As a kid it was my daily routine to poke as many of these plants when we walked to school.
Would be more amazing if it stays compact and have longer lasting flowers!
:) Nice visual.
A few more weeks, and I'm going to cut it back, see if I can keep it compact.
 

Joanie

Carnivorous Plant Addict
Saw a giant tall one at a local Chinese nursery last year....must have been almost 5 ft high...no price on it...here is a pict.
Wow - thanks for the pict! There is something about the uniformity of the leaves that I really like.
 
I found some true Mimosa species in Costa Rica Mimosa pigra. Read that this species is a Neophyte in Australia. Grows to big bushes and small trees.
This species would be a candidate for Bonsai. I had seedlings from collected seeds. Pretty easy to grow.
There is one relative I am working with. Mimosa (Schrankia) nutallii which would be outside hardy up to Zone 6b
Plant dies back above ground in winter, but regrows from root stock every year.
 
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Joanie

Carnivorous Plant Addict
"There is one relative I am working with" ... are you training it as bonsai?

I started some seeds in the spring and have been cutting the plants back, fairly aggressively, to see how they respond. I do plan to start more seeds next spring if the current pants survive. The pic @WillyCKH posted earlier in this thread inspired me to see if my conditions would work for bonsai.
 
This special species probably can`t be used as Bonsai. It died back every year, so no trunk. But it is worth while as undergrowth in a bonsai setting.
A friend of mine grew it for three years outside. In his situation it was very small leafed, compared with M.pudica.
What I want to try with M.nutallii is to grow it on my islands outside. If this works well I will give another friend some for his Bonsai forest setting.
The other species of this genus are sadly not frost hard at all. And the plants I had from Mimosa pigra died of neglect after some years. Would be worth a try.
I had given the rest of the seeds to our Botanical Garden, but they don`t have any plants now. But this species is a Neophyte in most frost-free parts of the world.
 
I had Mimosa pudica for some years. They grew in my first carnivore jungle in a old fish tank without any problem. In this more moist situation cuttings took readily root in living Sphagnum within a few weeks.
So next time you cut them back, use the cuttings for propagation. Works much faster than from seed. You need high humidity for the two or three weeks they need to grow on.
 
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