Florida Flora Friday: Sunshine Mimosa (Mimosa strigillosa)

 (Photo courtesy of Flickr via Creative Commons license, author Mary Keim)

The thing that started me on my native plant journey was trying to learn about ground cover options and living mulches suitable for Florida. A single Google search spurred not just a trip down a rabbit hole, but an entire shift in lifestyle and mindset. One of the first native groundcovers I learned about was Sunshine Mimosa (Mimosa strigillosa), also called the "Sensitive Plant". Ki is a lovely addition to any Florida yard, with bright pink pompoms that make me think of Dr. Seuss. Horton is in there somewhere, I'm sure. 

Sunshine Mimosa grows pretty flat (prostrate growth habit) and forms mats. Ki's a perennial and pretty durable, able to withstand both foot traffic and some mowing. It's also beloved by our native pollinators, particularly native bees. In addition to pollen, ki is a host plant for the Little Sulphur butterfly, which is another reason to consider adding this beauty to parts of your yard.

Worried that ki will grow too tall? Ki only gets 6 to 9 inches tall and blooms from spring through fall. A single plant can cover 10 square feet, too, so a few will go a long way once established. However, the roots can go very deep (3 feet) so you might want to avoid planting around your septic field to avoid complications. I've added ki to my backyard where there are no pipes (we're on city water and sewer but I was cautious at first). 

Sunshine Mimosa can be propagated by seed or cutting. Having grown ki from seed, I can tell you ki's slow to get up to size. It took several months for the seedlings to get big enough to transplant out into the yard. Ki doesn't really care about moisture and will thrive in moist or dry environments. Note that you'll want considerable moisture during the establishment phase. Sunshine Mimosa does prefer well-drained, sandy soil, however, and will only handle minimal shade.

But why is ki called the "Sensitive Plant"? When something brushes the leaves, they retract for protection. This isn't the best video, but you can see the reaction in this seedling:

Sunshine Mimosa is a beautiful, native groundcover. You can learn more about ki from the Florida Native Plant Society and the Florida Wildflower Foundation.