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🌸 Sunshine Mimosa (Mimosa strigillosa) – Florida’s Living Green Carpet 🌿
Meet one of Florida’s most charming and hard-working native groundcovers — Sunshine Mimosa, affectionately known as Powderpuff Mimosa or Sensitive Plant. This low-growing, touch-responsive legume combines beauty, playfulness, and soil-healing power in one resilient plant. Perfect for walkways, pollinator zones, and regenerative landscapes, Sunshine Mimosa transforms bare soil into a lush, self-fertilizing ecosystem.
🌿 Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Botanical Name | Mimosa strigillosa |
| Plant Type | Native perennial legume groundcover |
| Size at Sale | Ships in 4″ pot (young starter ≈ 3–6 months old) |
| Mature Height & Width | 3–4″ tall × spreading 3–5 ft |
| USDA Zones | 8B – 11 |
| Sun Requirements | Full sun to filtered light |
| Cold Hardiness | Down to ≈ 20 °F once established |
| Growth Habit | Fast-spreading mat via roots & runners |
| Spacing | 18–24″ apart for full coverage |
🌸 Flowers & Foliage
- Blooms: Cheerful pink-lavender powder-puff flowers from spring through fall.
- Leaves: Fine fern-like foliage that folds when touched — fun and interactive for all ages.
- Groundcover Power: Creates a soft, traffic-tolerant carpet perfect for sunny paths and open native soils.
🌱 Why Sunshine Mimosa Matters: The Power of Nitrogen Fixation
Sunshine Mimosa isn’t just ornamental — it’s a living fertilizer factory.
As a member of the legume family, its roots form a natural partnership with beneficial soil bacteria called rhizobia. These microbes colonize tiny nodules on the roots and convert nitrogen from the air into plant-available forms — essentially capturing free atmospheric nitrogen and storing it in the soil.
💚 Why It’s Important
- Reduces Inputs & Costs: Once established, Sunshine Mimosa continually enriches your soil with nitrogen, reducing or eliminating the need for chemical fertilizers.
- Improves Soil Health: Nitrogen supports vigorous green growth, boosts microbial life, and feeds neighboring plants such as fruit trees, herbs, and ornamentals.
- Self-Sustaining Cycle: When roots, leaves, or stems naturally break down, that captured nitrogen is slowly released into the surrounding soil — feeding the next generation of plants.
- Nothing Extra to Do: You don’t have to “activate” or treat the nodules; simply plant in healthy soil and avoid heavy synthetic nitrogen fertilizers that would suppress this natural process.
🌿 In short: Sunshine Mimosa works while you rest — storing nitrogen during growth and sharing it back into your garden for years to come.
🌾 Perfect Partner: Perennial Peanut (Arachis glabrata)
In Florida’s regenerative landscapes, Sunshine Mimosa and Perennial Peanut are the ultimate soil-building pair. Both fix nitrogen, both thrive in full sun or filtered light, and together they fill every niche of your garden ecosystem.
Sunshine Mimosa prefers lean, sandy native soils — perfect for dry slopes, open beds, and between fruit-tree rows.
Perennial Peanut prefers soils with more humus — the decomposed mulch and organic matter found under fruit-tree canopies.
Used together, they create a complete living mulch system that covers the ground, protects soil moisture, and continually pumps fertility into the root zone.
At GreenDreams Farm, Mimosa dominates our dry native zones while Perennial Peanut shades and nourishes the mulched orchard beds — each thriving in its own microclimate but working together as one integrated nutrient cycle.
🌱 Groundcover Comparison Chart
| Feature | 🌸 Sunshine Mimosa | 🌾 Perennial Peanut |
|---|---|---|
| Soil Preference | Sandy, well-drained, low-humus native soils | Loamy or compost-amended soils with humus & biochar |
| Sunlight | Full sun to filtered light | Full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture | Drought-tolerant once established | Likes steady moisture, not water-logged |
| Best Zones | Dry beds, native paths, open slopes | Mulched orchard zones, tree basins |
| Bloom Color | Pink powder-puff | Yellow pea flowers |
| Nitrogen Fixation | Rapid in poor soils | Strong in rich beds |
| Maintenance | Minimal — occasional trim | Low — may need light irrigation |
| Ideal Use Together | Mimosa = native dry zones | Peanut = mulched organic zones |
🌱 Nitrogen Fixation Explained: Nature’s Built-In Fertilizer System
“No fertilizer required — this plant makes its own.”
🌿 Step-by-Step: How It Works
1️⃣ Root Partnership
Tiny beneficial bacteria called rhizobia live on Sunshine Mimosa’s roots, forming small nodules.
2️⃣ Nitrogen Capture
These bacteria “inhale” nitrogen gas (N₂) from the air trapped in the soil and convert it into a usable plant form — ammonium (NH₄⁺) — that feeds both the Mimosa and the surrounding plants.
3️⃣ Soil Enrichment
When roots or leaves die back, that stored nitrogen naturally releases into the soil — creating a slow, steady nutrient source for nearby fruit trees, herbs, and perennials.
4️⃣ Long-Term Benefits
🌾 Fewer fertilizers → lower costs
♻️ Healthier soil → more biodiversity
🌸 Happier plants → stronger, greener growth
💡 Grower Tip:
There’s no special treatment required. Simply avoid heavy chemical fertilizers (they can “turn off” the rhizobia). Keep your soil alive with mulch, compost, and beneficial fungi — the bacteria do the rest!
🌞 Best Practices for Planting & Care
Where to Plant
- Choose full sun or filtered light areas with well-draining soil.
- Mimosa thrives where turf struggles; avoid soggy ground.
How to Plant
- Use GreenDreams’ “High & Tight” method — plant at the same depth as its pot, pack soil firmly.
- Water thoroughly after planting.🎥 Watch our Planting Video →
Watering
💧 Daily until rooted (2–4 weeks) → then deep water 1–2× per week during dry spells.
Mulching
🪵 Add a thin hardwood mulch layer between plants — keep off crowns.
Pruning
✂️ Trim as needed to encourage density; it naturally stays low and neat.
Seasonal Behavior
🍂 Fall/Winter – Top growth slows or browns in cool zones; roots stay alive.
🌱 Spring – Rapid new flush as temperatures warm.
🌸 Summer – Peak bloom and pollinator activity.
⚠️ Troubleshooting Guide
| ⚠️ Issue | 🧠 Cause | 🌿 Organic Solution |
|---|---|---|
| 💧 Wilting after planting | Transplant shock | 🌱 Provide filtered light & steady moisture 2–3 wks |
| 🍂 Yellow leaves | Overwatering / poor drainage | 💡 Allow soil to dry slightly between waterings |
| 🐛 Chewed foliage | Caterpillars / beetles | ✅ Neem oil or hand-pick |
| ☀️ Sun scorch | Excess heat on new plants | 🌬️ Use temporary shade cloth if >95°F |
| ❄️ Cold damage | Frost exposure | 🌿 Trim back — new growth returns in spring |
🌿 Is This Plant Right for You?
✅ Ideal For:
- Food forests & ecological landscapes
- Soil restoration and nitrogen cycling
- Drought-tolerant yards & pollinator gardens
- Homeowners seeking low-input living mulch
❌ Not Ideal For:
- Deep shade or water-logged locations
❓ FAQ
Q: Do I need to fertilize Sunshine Mimosa?
A: No — it makes its own nitrogen! Avoid synthetic fertilizers that can disrupt the root bacteria.
Q: Does it help other plants nearby?
A: Yes. Nitrogen fixed by the roots is shared when leaves shed or roots die back, feeding neighboring plants naturally.
Q: Do I need to cut it to release nitrogen?
A: No special steps are required — normal seasonal growth and decay slowly release stored nutrients.
Q: Can I combine it with Perennial Peanut?
A: Absolutely. Together they cover both dry and mulched zones, forming a complete living fertility blanket.
🚚 Shipping & Handling
Ships best to Florida, Southeast & Texas regions in spring & fall.
Nationwide shipping available — northern/western orders may need 2–3 weeks for recovery.
🕐 UPS Ground Mondays from Florida nursery. Use discretion during heat or cold.
Local Pickup
📍 GreenDreams Nursery & Farm
18709 US Hwy 41, Spring Hill, FL 34610
🕘 Tues–Fri 9–5 | 🌞 Sat 8–3
See our demonstration beds featuring Mimosa and Peanut together in action!
🌿 Beyond the Plant: GreenDreams Services
At GreenDreams, we don’t just grow plants — we design, build, and restore ecosystems across Florida.
- 🌳 Onsite consultations & edible landscape design
- 🌾 Installation & project management
- 🚚 Bulk delivery of compost, mulch, biochar & soil
- 🪴 Wholesale & regenerative solutions
Let our team help you create a thriving, self-fertilizing edible paradise — starting with Sunshine Mimosa!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION BEFORE PURCHASING LIVE PLANTS:
*Please be advised that our online store selections are NOT available for pickup at our retail location in Spring Hill, Florida.
Inventory for our online store is located at a separate facility and are priced and handled exclusively for packaging & shipping.
Click here to learn more about our Spring Hill, FL retail nursery location, including countless more nursery selections ready for pickup - larger sizes and wider variety of plants not suitable for nationwide delivery.
1. Shipping Stress: Transportation can be stressful for plants, particularly when they spend several days in a confined, dark environment. It’s common for plants to experience leaf drop during this period. Rest assured, most plants typically recover quickly and thrive with minimal aftercare. However, some may need extra attention, love, and care, requiring appropriate watering and exposure to gentle light post-unboxing.
2. Potential Physical Damage: Despite our dedicated efforts to ensure that your plants are securely packaged, they may incur damage during shipping and handling by UPS. Rest assured, our shipping team is committed to packing your selections with utmost care and precision to minimize any potential harm.
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For significant box damage, please reach out to UPS within 30 days to initiate a claim.
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For minor damages, such as a broken branch or stem, we advise allowing the plant time to recover and regenerate with proper care and attention.
3. Long-Distance Shipping Considerations: Orders shipped over long distances, particularly to the western US, may take 3 - 5 business days to arrive due to various factors, including agricultural inspections in Arizona, California, and Texas. Such extended transit times can be particularly challenging for tender, young plants, affecting their quality due to prolonged confinement.
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We take additional measures during packaging to facilitate a swift recovery of the plants upon unboxing.
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Initial extra care and attention might be required over the first few weeks post-transport.
For further guidance, kindly review our detailed policies on returns and refunds, as well as our comprehensive plant care guide. We appreciate your understanding and patience in nurturing your new plants.
🌿 Important Shipping Information
Please take a moment to review our shipping protocols designed to ensure your plants arrive in optimal condition.
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Countdown Clock: At the top of our online store, you'll notice a countdown clock. This tool helps communicate our weekly shipping schedule, providing clarity on when you can expect your orders to be dispatched.
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Shipping Schedule: Our nursery, located in the heart of Central Florida, ships orders once weekly, every Monday. This is a strategic decision to prevent packages from being stationary over the weekends, ensuring that our plants travel as swiftly as possible across the country, even reaching as far as California.
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Shipping Method: At present, we offer ground shipping rates to meet various needs while maintaining the well-being of our plants during transit.
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Our Dedicated Team: We are a boutique nursery with a passionate team. Our members wear many hats, contributing to shipping, nursery operations, and engaging in valuable local projects. As we blossom and expand, rest assured that enhancing and streamlining our processes remains a priority to serve you better
Terms and Conditions for Purchasing Live Plants
1. Understanding of Shipping Stress
By purchasing live plants from our store, the customer acknowledges that transportation can be stressful for plants. It is common for plants to undergo leaf drop or experience other temporary issues during shipping. However, it is understood that most plants recover quickly with adequate care and attention post-shipping.
2. Awareness of Potential Physical Damage
Customers acknowledge that despite our best efforts in packaging, there may be occurrences of damage during shipping and handling. For substantial damages to the package, customers agree to contact UPS within 30 days to initiate a claim.
3. Acknowledgement of Long-Distance Shipping Considerations
Customers recognize that shipments, especially those directed to the western US, may be subjected to longer shipping durations of 3-5 business days. Customers agree to provide necessary care to the plants, recognizing that the quality of the plants may be affected due to prolonged shipping times.
4. Agreement with Shipping Information and Schedule
Customers, by making a purchase, have reviewed and agreed upon our shipping protocols and schedules. They acknowledge the presence of a countdown clock on the website and our once-weekly shipping policy every Monday, recognizing the rationale behind avoiding weekend layovers for the plants.
5.Extreme Weather Conditions
Customers acknowledge that our store is not responsible for damage or loss of live plants due to extreme weather conditions during transit and delivery. This includes exposure to cold or freezing temperatures during the winter months and extreme heat during the summer. We provide tracking information when orders are processed every Monday to ensure customers are aware of the delivery schedule. It is the customer's responsibility to prevent packages from being left outside in conditions that may cause damage. Our store does not accept responsibility for any adverse effects caused by weather conditions beyond our control.
6. No Refund Policy
Customers agree that refunds are only processed under exceptional circumstances. Our store will not be held responsible for poor plant choices relative to location suitability, extreme conditions during and/or post-shipment, and improper post-purchase plant care.
7. Responsibility of Care
Upon purchase, customers agree to assume full responsibility for the ongoing care of the plants. This includes, but is not limited to, appropriate watering, exposure to suitable light, and adherence to specific care instructions pertinent to each plant type.
8. Consent
By proceeding with this purchase, customers consent to all the terms and conditions stated above, confirming understanding and agreement to all stipulations mentioned.
These terms and conditions aim to ensure clarity, mutual understanding, and agreement between the seller and the customer to facilitate a smooth transaction and foster a positive customer experience.
