If I planted this I don't know why because I don't know what it is. It's about 30 inches tall now and the leaves all fold up at night. I posted three different views here.It's growing in a flower bed with cosmos and zinnias. unknown plant ( photo / image / picture from dooley's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from dooley's Garden ) another view of unknown plant ( photo / image / picture from dooley's Garden )
It looks like a Sensative plant (Mimosa pudica) Dooley. If you touch the leaves do they react and close up in the same way they do at night?
It doesn't close up when you touch it during the day but it closes at night. It could be a mimosa. Glenda gave me some seeds once. They may have gotten mixed in with my seeds but I thought the seeds I tossed into that bed all came from closed paks. I'll let it grow some more and see what happens. dooley
Hi Dooley, i would also go for Mimosa,..the leaves are very similar,..though the branch not as long,..but not closing up when touched?,..yet closing at night,..still an attractive plant,..i was sure at first glance it was a Sensitive Plant,Mimosa pudica,..just like Eileen guessed. Video
I started sensitive plants from seed last year in my greenhouse, just to try them. The leaves were much smaller than the ones in your photo. I would guess the mimosa also.
Dooley... I hope I'm wrong, but the more I look at it the more I'm leaning towards the Rattlebox (Sesbania drummondii). They are everywhere around here... and there's no getting rid of them. If it starts to look and grow like this... just pull it up and be on the look out for zillions more. That is unless you discover that you like it. The flowers are actually quite pretty. Here's a couple photos of some growing near my old office from a couple of years ago. Rattlebox - Yellow Flowers ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) Sesbania drummondii ( photo / image / picture from cherylad's Garden ) Hope I'm wrong and that you actually have a "keeper".
There are some of those growing in the back but they are different. You notice that there are leaves growing off of a stem that comes from the main stalk on the Rattlebox but on the one I posted is just one long stem growing from the main stalk. I would have already pulled it from the flower bed if it had looked like the others. Thanks for the name of the ones with the yellow flowers though. dooley
I went looking and found my Dale Groom's Texas Gardening Guide. On page 208 is a picture of my plant. It says it's Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin). It grows to 30 to 40 feet high and spreads about 30 to 40 ft. I think it's probably too close to the house. It says it's one of only a few ornamental blooming shade trees whose leaves fold up each evening. I probably did plant it because Glenda gave me a lot of seeds when we moved to Texas and this spring I dumped them altogether in a pan and threw them into the flower bed. They were old and dry so not much has grown but this must be some of that seed. Thanks, Glenda! dooley
Dooley... So glad you got it figured out. Better to have a Mimosa than a Rattlebox anyday! Some consider it a "weed tree" because it reseeds pretty easily.
