Can I keep a Mimosa from growing too big?

[dconklin]

Our neighbor has a Mimosa tree that doesn't get a real lot of sun so it isn't huge, but I have seen pictures of them getting to be a nice size. I know they don't get to be huge Maple tree size usually, but I have seen some nice size ones.

We have one that has been growing in our yard for the past couple years and at first (before I knew what it was), I tried to kill it because of where it was and I thought it was something else. But now that I realize it is a Mimosa and I have seen how pretty they are, I wouldn't mind letting it grow (since it didn't die during my past attempts.) The only thing is that where it is growing, it would be in full sun light once it got taller then the fence so I am worried about it taking over the tiny yard we have. That and I am afraid of it taking sunlight from my other plants. Our yard is very small so we do not have many options for plants.

I am torn between keeping it or getting rid of it. They are beautiful but only if I can keep it from growing too big. At the moment, I keep cutting all new growth off it until I know what I will do with it.

Can I keep the Mimosa from getting too big?

 

[Marck]

in New jersey, you are likely speaking of the Pink Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin). also known as Silk Tree, this member of the Pea family (Fabaceae) is native to Asia, Taiwan, and Japan. Left alone, a Pink Mimosa could reach 50 feet, or more, but it is most adaptable to pruning. Observe your tree's branching pattern and make thinning cuts back to buds or side branches that you wish to encourage for the coming year. More drastically you might consider pollarding your tree or coppicing it near the base. Pollarding will give you a great deal of control, but will also cause unattractive, bluntly-cut branch ends. Coppicing will encourage the tree to regrow from the base each year as a vigorous multi-stemmed shrub.