Fragrant Mimosa

Mimosa borealis

Hills guide picknative · Hill Country

Fragrant Mimosa is a shrub native to the Texas Hill Country that grows 6–8 ft tall and 6–8 ft wide. It wants full sun and very low water, and handles caliche and clay soil. Blooms pink in Mar–Jul. Deer rarely browse it. Good for bees, butterflies and nectar insects.

Will it grow in your yard?

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From our guide

Village of the Hills

Small thorny shrub with fine foliage and fragrant pink puffball flowers in spring.

Why it works here

Deer will not touch it, it wants nothing, and the fragrance is genuine.

Watch out

Thorns. Deciduous and twiggy in winter — pair it with something evergreen.

The facts

6 sources

Type: Shrub
Sun: Full sun (6+ hrs)
Water: Very low
Height: 6–8 ft
Spread: 6–8 ft
Bloom: Mar–Jul · pink
Foliage: Deciduous
Soil: Takes caliche and clay · recorded on caliche, clay, dry, limestone, loam, rocky, sand
Deer: High — deer rarely browse it. Prickly stems
Wildlife: Supports bees, butterflies, deer and nectar insects

Size, sun, water and foliage from the Village of the Hills guide; the rest resolved across sources.

Where it grows

Recorded in these EPA Level IV ecoregions in the Austin and Hill Country launch area:

Balcones CanyonlandsLlano UpliftEdwards Plateau WoodlandLimestone Cut Plain

938 occurrence records in Central Texas (GBIF).

Can you buy it?

In the Village of the Hills guide, but not on the grower stock lists we read yet. Ask a native-plant nursery.