Mimosa Propagation

Natural Reproduction

• In nature, mimosa plants tend to reproduce by forming flowers with blossoms. After pollen fertilization occurs, the wilted blossoms wither from the plants, leaving behind the seeds that eventually fall to the soil and germinate. Mimosa seeds contain a hard outer coating that can delay germination in the natural environment for up to one year.

Mass Propagation

• As with many varieties of plants grown for nursery stock purposes, planting masses of seeds provides one of the most economical ways of reproducing these plants. Sowing the seeds is also the general method for planting mimosa for crop purposes. Like some other types of legume crops, field grown mimosa seed can be planted by drilling the seed into the soil late in the fall. Mimosa crops usually take between 10 and 12 months to mature.

Seed Germination

• Seed packets provide gardeners with a basic method of growing new mimosa plants. In addition to purchasing commercial seed packets from gardening centers and nurseries, you can harvest mimosa seeds from mature parent plants late in the summer. Due to the hard coating, mimosa seeds should be scarified to promote optimal germination. Chipping or scraping the outer coating with a sharp knife provides a simple method of scarification.

Vegetative Cuttings

• Like some other types of perennials and ornamental shrubs, taking cuttings from a mimosa provides another method of propagation. Take cuttings from the base of the mimosa plant, especially new sprouts that develop from the underground roots. Try rooting out softwood, semi-hardwood and hardwood cuttings by pruning off stems and branches throughout the growing season. Dip the cuttings into a rooting hormone prior to inserting them in a sandy loam. Keep the cuttings slightly damp and watch for new leaf buds to form. New growth and foliage signal a successful result.