What are the differences between silk tree flowers and mimosa? A quick guide to tell them apart

Mimosa and silk tree flowers both belong to the Fabaceae family, Mimosoideae subfamily, and their leaves look very similar. Many friends also think mimosa and silk trees are the same plant. In fact, mimosa and silk tree flowers are completely different things, and the two have very big differences. Let's take a look together below!

Silk tree flower

The silk tree flower is a deciduous tree in the Fabaceae family, Mimosoideae subfamily, Albizia genus, a deciduous tree, up to 16 m tall, with a spreading crown; branchlets are angular, young branches, inflorescences and leaf rachises are covered with tomentum or short pubescence, bipinnately compound leaves, pods ribbon-like, flowering period June-July, fruiting period August-October.

Mimosa

Mimosa is a perennial herb or subshrub in the Fabaceae family, Mimosoideae subfamily, Mimosa genus. Because its leaves respond to heat and light and close immediately when touched by external force, it is named mimosa. The shape is like a pompom, and after flowering it forms pods, the fruit is flat-round, the leaves are feather-like compound leaves alternate, arranged in a palmate pattern, flowering period March-October, fruiting period May-November.

Differences between silk tree flowers and mimosa

1. The silk tree flower is a tree in the Albizia genus, up to 16 m tall, while mimosa is a shrub in the Mimosa genus, at most 1 m tall.

2. The leaves of the silk tree flower do not close when touched, while the leaves of mimosa close when touched.

3. The inflorescence of the silk tree flower is relatively large, a fan-shaped inflorescence, with ribbon-like pods, while the flowers of mimosa are relatively small, pink spherical capitulum inflorescences, with flat-round fruit.

4. The silk tree flower is also called night silk tree flower, night silk tree, velvet flower tree, bird velvet tree, bitter love flower, etc., while mimosa is also called sensitive plant, shame plant, shouting grass, shy grass, laughing grass, husband-and-wife grass, bashful grass, etc.

5. The silk tree flower is sweet in taste, neutral in nature, and has the effects of relieving depression, regulating qi, calming the mind, activating collaterals, nourishing blood, nourishing yin and kidney, and clearing the heart and improving eyesight, while mimosa is sweet and astringent in taste, cool in nature, and has the effects of calming the mind and soothing the nerves, and clearing heat and detoxifying.