This tree was growing in my garden when we moved in. Someone told me it was indigenous but I don’t have its proper name and couldn’t source it in any of my books.
It has a thick, rough bark, thin leaves and long, pod-shaped seeds, but what I really like about it are its flowers. They are light, candy-striped and kinda Japanese. Also, the seeds are really easy to germinate and I am growing a bonsai version of it.
Does anyone know what it is called and where it is from?

Could this be a powder puff tree or Calliandra Brevipes? I’ve just come across it in a book, in which case it is from Brazil and not indigenous at all 🙁
I was just going to say that it doesn’t look indigenous to me. I’ll have a look at my exotic poster at home and see if I can recognise it…
It would be a shame if its not because I have grown some young trees from seed to plant at the front of our house …
Hey Smile I looked through my exotic Durban plants sheet and I can’t find this exact tree, but it looks very very similar to a Sensitive Plant (Mimosa Pudica) which orginates from Tropical, North and South America. They list Forest Indigo (Indigofera Micrantha) as an alternative…
As an interesting aside, I was sitting outside last night and bats were flying in to eat the flowers! It was a cool thing to watch …
Hi Sons. Yeah, it looks more and more like it is exotic … Oh well …
It’s an Albizia julibrissin – Lol & Lopez have one in their front yard too. Lovely, it’s name comes from the Persian for ‘silk rose’ Exotic, from SE Asia.
See here for more:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albizia_julibrissin
Nice blog, damn fine.
cool, thanks Travis.
Guess I’ll have to get the old panga out …
Ja, perhaps ringbark it, and let it rot down?
just come across this post. if you like this tree then a very similar local variety – and equally cute – is Dichrostachys cinerea.
thanks Steve – just Googled it and it looks great. a worthy replacement. Plus, its other name is Kalahari Christmas tree 🙂
more info and pics at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dichrostachys_cinerea
except its branches grow out as pseudo thorns.Ouch!
i have one..grows well without too much fuss.
Hey Khalid
I actually have bonsai’s one and its doing pretty well. Beautiful flowers!
dats probably a calliandra selloi,we have at skul and i,ve came across it many times when my practicals
Looks like a Mimosa tree to me.