Species Overview

Native to: Native range is unclear, it is widely distributed across the tropical Americas and Africa

This species has escaped cultivation and is established in northern Australia, Southeast Asia, the Galapagos Islands, Hawaii and Florida. While it is most often seen in wet areas (such as stream banks, shorelines and seasonally flooded lands), it can also occur in drier habitats. It tolerates inundation, periodic drought and highly saline conditions, but is intolerant of shade. Currently, catclaw mimosa is restricted to tropical and subtropical regions. It was first collected in Florida in 1953 and is thought to have been introduced through intentional cultivation or as a contaminant in imported nursery stock. By 1985, large infestations were noted in South Florida, where it is now estimated to cover 1,000 acres. There are three species of Mimosa native to Florida (M. pudica, M. quadrivalvis and M. strigillosa), but these are all smaller, low-growing plants with a creeping or prostrate habit.

Species Characteristics

Family: Fabaceae

Habit: Sprawling, often thicket-forming shrub to 6 m (20 ft) tall, with hairy stems bearing numerous recurved prickles to 7 mm (0.3 in) long.

Leaves: Alternate, twice compound, sensitive to touch; leaf petiole and rachis to 20 cm (8 in) long, prickles at junctions, 5–12 pairs of pinnae; each pinna with 24–31 pairs of leaflets, these to 8 mm (0.3 in) long, often with threadlike hairs on margins.

Flowers: Small, mauve to pink, in stalked, dense, spherical heads; about 1 cm (0.5 in) across, with about 100 flowers per head; 8 stamens.

Fruit/seeds: A brown-bristly, segmented, flat pod to 8 cm (3 in) long and 1.4 cm (0.5 in) wide, with the 9–24 segments breaking free individually; each containing a seed. Pods in clusters, or “hands” (of usually 7) at stem tips.

Distribution in Florida: reported from 9 counties in south and central Florida and Jackson and Madison counties in north Florida.

Impacts

The bristles on the pod segments attach to animal fur, as well as clothing, shoes and hair. The segments float on water and may also be dispersed in mud that adheres to boats, vehicles and machinery. The seeds have a hard, impermeable coat which allows them to remain dormant for many years, forming large seed banks until they are exposed to conditions optimal for germination. A single, mature plant can produce over 42,000 seeds per year and dormant seeds can remain viable for at least 20 years. Forms dense, impenetrable thickets that displace native vegetation, choke waterways, and increase sedimentation. In northern Australia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, catclaw mimosa has become a major weed that is altering wetland ecology and invading pasture and agricultural lands.

Do not plant. Clean clothing and gear thoroughly when leaving any infested area.

More research needed.

Blade ploughing, a method which cuts the plant below ground level has been effective in Malaysia.

None known.

50% Garlon 3A, 10% Milestone. Basal bark: 30% Garlon 4. Foliar: 0.25% Milestone. Repeat applications of 1.5% glyphosate product or 2 –3% Garlon 3A or Renovate. Repeated site visits are necessary to control seedlings and prevent further seed production. Approximately ten years are needed for seed bank eradication. Reach out to your local UF IFAS Extension for further assistance with management recommendations. Additional management recommendations can be found in the EDIS Publication Integrated Management of Non-Native Plants in Natural Areas of Florida.