Help me save my Mimosa!

Discussion in 'Woody Plants' started by Mimosa Mumsie, Apr 21, 2007.

  1. Mimosa Mumsie

    Mimosa Mumsie Member

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    I had a beautiful mimosa in my AZ yard for over 20yrs, which had to be cut down last year because it was infested with some type of beetle. My mom who has passed away, bought me that tree in memory of one that we had in our yard where I grew up in NY. It was sad to cut it down, but this spring I noticed a nice sprig growing out of the root. My daughter and I would love to be able to transplant the new growth, and try to grow another beautiful tree from it. Is this possible? How do I go about this?
     
  2. levilyla

    levilyla Active Member

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    I would tell her that the root sprout can be left in place to grow but cannot be transplanted unless she takes a rootball sufficient to move the whole tree's root system (i.e., like transplanting the tree before it was cut). If the sprout gets big enough it will flower and seed, and then she can grow a seedling from that to carry on the family line of the original tree in a new location. Then also alert her that mimosas are brittle and short lived, and invasive in some parts of the country, and if that includes her area she might take this opportunity to replace it with something that is stronger and more permanent, like an Arizona white oak or some other long-lived native Arizona tree. Then place a nice (not cheap) stone or bronze plaque by the new tree dedicating it to her mother.
    Guy S.
    This is a quote from Guy Sternberg (Author of NATIVE TREES FOR NORTH AMERICAN LANDSCAPES No better advice can be found.
     
  3. Mimosa Mumsie

    Mimosa Mumsie Member

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    Thank you so much for your reply. I had a much closer look at it this morning. It appears that the new growths are stemming from the stump of the cut tree, not from an exposed root system. Any chance of transplanting given this new information?

    Whatever happens, I will definitely place a nice "mom worthy" plaque in a prominent position of the new tree.
     
  4. levilyla

    levilyla Active Member

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    Well as said by Guy, it sounds like you would have to take a root ball as big as the tree when it was there.
     

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