''Mimosa strigillosa'', also known as sunshine mimosa and powderpuff, is a
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
ground cover
Groundcover or ground cover is any plant that grows over an area of ground. Groundcover provides protection of the topsoil from erosion and drought.
In an ecosystem, the ground cover forms the layer of vegetation below the shrub layer known as t ...
in the family
that is native to nearly all US states bordering the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...
and grows north into
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
and
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
as well.
The name powderpuff refers to the small spherical flowers that rise above the plant's creeping vines. Like related species in the genus ''
Mimosa
''Mimosa'' is a genus of about 590 species of herbs and shrubs, in the mimosoid clade of the legume family Fabaceae. The generic name is derived from the Greek word (''mimos''), an "actor" or "mime", and the feminine suffix -''osa'', "resembl ...
'', sunshine mimosa has sensitive leaves that can fold in a matter of seconds after being disturbed.
Because of sunshine mimosa's mat forming nature, drought tolerance, and because like many
legume
A legume () is a plant in the family Fabaceae (or Leguminosae), or the fruit or seed of such a plant. When used as a dry grain, the seed is also called a pulse. Legumes are grown agriculturally, primarily for human consumption, for livestock f ...
s it is capable of
nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen fixation is a chemical process by which molecular nitrogen (), with a strong triple covalent bond, in the air is converted into ammonia () or related nitrogenous compounds, typically in soil or aquatic systems but also in industry. Atmo ...
and thus doesn't need
fertilizer
A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...
it has become recommended as a replacement for turf grasses for the purposes of
xeriscaping
Xeriscaping is the process of Garden design, landscaping, or gardening, that reduces or eliminates the need for irrigation. It is promoted in regions that do not have accessible, plentiful, or reliable supplies of fresh water and has gained accep ...
and lowering environmental impact. The plant is also recommended as a turfgrass replacement because of its ability to withstand some foot traffic and mowing,
It is capable of spreading rapidly and as few as four or five pots may cover 300 square feet in a single growing season. Some may find it problematic that the plant is a host for the larva of little sulphur (''
Eurema lisa'') butterflies.
Because of sunshine mimosa's general usefulness as a landscaping plant it was named one of the 2008 plants of the year by the Florida Nursery, Growers & Landscape Association.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q6862340
strigillosa
Flora of Florida
Flora of Texas