Hello fellow Nexians, I recently acquired some Mimosa Hostilis seeds and was wondering about some things. I realize they are tough to grow from seed and require some attention but I wanted to ask anyone with experience about a few things.

I realize you are supposed to nick them with a knife and soak in hot water for 30 minutes but then there are different preferences for the next step. Plastic bag with wet paper towels? And then shallowly place them into well-draining soil? How often to feed them and how long before they can be potted?

But besides that I was really wondering if it's too late in the year to try to start this plant and also if the seeds will be good if I keep them for next season? I live in the midwest where we get all four seasons, so theoretically if I had my Mimosa plants inside where it's warm would they survive winter?


Any help is much appreciated! Please and thank you.

We started our MH seeds indoors in late summer when the seeds normally fall from the trees. We had probably two dozen seeds in shallow troughs of ordinary potting soil, didn't score them or anything. Got three seedlings which we transplanted the following April, two of which are thriving 15 years later, one being nearly 50 feet tall. We are in the southern Midwest, zone 6.

I know there are more legit ways of doing this, but that's our simple home garden method.

Awesome. Thanks for your reply. A 50 footer, huh? Nice! So I'm guessing it is outdoors and survives through cold weather?

I think I might have to try to germinate a few of these this week and see how it goes

I didn't score any of mine, but did soak in hot water for a few hours before placing the seeds an inch under the soil. I had great germination results. I've got a bunch(15 or so) of seedlings that will live in a green house until spring and then will be moved to the back yard for the remainder of their lives. I live in a Zone 8b area, so I'm hoping that they will survive outside. Seeing that Guyomech lives in zone 6 area gives me hope that they'll be fine during the winter.

i soak my mimosa seeds in hot (just under boiling) water until they are noticeably swollen (i never tried scarification), then i just stick the swollen seeds in the dirt

first round of seeds i got 100% second round i got 80% (4 out of 5)

Nathaniel,
Last winter was brutal, and many of the youngest twigs died back. But they bounced back pretty well, I'd call it a full recovery. This is the first winter that's happened.