How Fast Does Mimosa Grow After Being Cut Down?

Growth and Regrowth

• Mimosa trees can be cut down deliberately, or they may die to the ground from fusarium, a wilting disease. Regrowth will not be from the stump, but from shoots that sprout from underground roots. Growth rate for plants is determined by the individual species and accelerated or slowed, to a degree, by environmental factors, such as light, shade and availability of water. According to Michael A. Dirr, Professor Emeritus at the University of Georgia, mimosa is a fast-growth plant that grows 25 inches per year or more. New shoots can be expected to grow at the same rate.

Best Cultural Practices

• Newly sprouted mimosas thrive in full sun to part shade, but they produce more flowers in full sun. Good drainage is key to success with mimosa, which can tolerate a wide variety of soils and conditions and is somewhat drought-tolerant once established. Young plants, either regrowing from the roots of a felled tree, or newly planted saplings, should receive regular watering for the first year. Mulching around the base of the tree with 2 to 3 inches of organic material helps conserve soil moisture and optimize growth, but keep the mulch a few inches away from the trunk.

Silk Tree Substitutes

• If a mimosa tree has been cut down because it has succumbed to wilt, it is best to remove root suckers, rather than letting the infected tree regrow. Choose a resistant cultivar such as "Union" (Albizia julibrissin "Union"), hardy in USDA zones 6 through 9. Alternately, select a flowering tree that does not fall prey to fusarium. One fusarium-resistant tree is fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus), hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9 and growing 12 to 20 feet tall, with an equal spread. The white, fragrant flowers are borne in fringe-like clusters. These are followed by blue-black fruits that are attractive to birds.

Mimosa Considerations

• Mimosa, with its tendency to regrow from root suckers and its equally vigorous self-seeding habit, can become invasive. It has been reported as such in many Southeastern U.S. locations. Regrowth from root suckers creates not one tree, but a collection of fast-growing shoots, resulting in a shrub-like configuration. If regrowth is the objective, remove all but one of the sprouting root suckers around the stump for cultivation. Better yet, choose a strong seedling from the vicinity of the tree and transplant to the desired location.