@scarediecats,. I found this on the web. I live in a neighboring state, Ohio, and thought I'd look up about my sister beautiful mimosa. (Bark is falling off) enjoy . Native to Iran and China, mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) was first introduced in the United States in the 1780s. Since then, the tree has spread throughout warm, mild regions. In fact, in some places, it is regarded as a weed because the seeds prolifically self-sow. Mimosa doesn't grow well in northern climates, but is well-adapted to mild coastal zones. Cold injuries, though not impossible, are rare here. Cold Injury Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9, mimosa can tolerate more cold than many trees growing in Mediterranean climates. In fact, cold injury is rare in these regions. However, a sudden, prolonged freeze can cause damage. Twigs and branches turn brown and die back. In extreme cases, the entire tree might die back. Occasionally, the trees' trunks develop cracks, caused by alternating periods of cold and warm temperatures. Sunscald occurs when the harsh winter sun damages the bark of young trees, causing brown or sunken patches on the trunk. These problems are rare in mimosas planted in mild climates. Prevention and Treatment Although you can't prevent frost damage in all cases, a few precautions can minimize the risk. Trees stressed by drought, poor soil or disease are more vulnerable to frost injury. Proper growing conditions can help trees weather cold temperatures. Growing trees in a protected area near a house or other trees can also help. Mimosa trees should never be fertilized in late summer. Fertilizing encourages new growth, prone to frost damage. If a tree does sustain injury, the best course is to prune back the branches to remove damage. Dead branches can be identified in one of two ways. Branches that fail to produce new growth in the spring are likely dead. Live branches will have soft, green material if you scrape away a bit of the bark. but dead branches are hard and brown. Make clean cuts one-quarter inch above an outward-facing bud to encourage new growth. Disease Frost damage is rare in coastal regions. Disease is the more likely culprit of injury or death to the mimosa tree. One disease, in particular, fusarium wilt, commonly infects mimosas. Yellowing leaves or early defoliation is the first symptom. As the disease progresses, the bark cracks and branches die back. Sometimes, the tree oozes a foul-smelling white or yellow foam. Eventually, the entire tree perishes. Unfortunately, no cure is available for this lethal disease, but prompt removal can prevent its spread. Distinguishing Between Disease and Cold Injury Because treatments vary, depending on the cause of the injury, it's important to distinguish between frost and disease damage. Frost damage occurs suddenly after a cold snap, while damage from disease usually progresses over several months or even years. Symptoms from frost damage occur primarily in the winter; disease damage is often most evident in the summer and fall.

Pictures, yeah! Cora, Mint julips sound so much more fun than orange juice or lemonade! My big oak with all the spanish moss does look like it belongs in the real south. Thanks. Ladywingr, your twins are quite the pair there! Very unusual. Would be interesting to see if that same plant puts out any others like that. Those are some vibrantly colored container gardens you have there. You have gotten a great and early start. I need to go shopping! Regina, is that a sesbania? Looks a little different? I don't think I've ever seen that particular plant and had never heard of a hummingbird tree. Looks like a poinciana facing downward. Very pretty. Do hummingbirds come to it? Anna

A hummingbird was observed last evening poking it's beak into a plumb leaf that was curled up by aphids inside. This went on for several minutes. Studies of the online literature often mentions that hummingbirds eat small insects.

Last night, I heard something hitting on my kitchen window and sliding glass door. At first, I thought it was our dogs looking to come in, but they were already inside. Maybe the wind. I live in Rialto, Ca. It's a wind tunnel funnel here. Nope, not that either. It ended up being a hummingbird hitting its little body up against the kitchen window and sliding door. I opened the door and on que, the hummingbird flew right in. It did not seem afraid of us and was attracted by the kitchen lights. I would turn off the lights and the hummingbird would find a place to sit down. Lights on, it would fly around again. During its sit down period, My wife managed to wrap a towel around it and placed it outside. Immediately, the hummingbird insisted on coming back in. So I let it back in. My daughter's got a kick from this and started posting pics and vids in their social media, of course. I even woke up my 4 year old, as I thought this would probably never happen again. By the way, it was midnight when the hummingbird shenanigans was happening...