This week we're celebrating the fabulous mimosa tree. It's a ray of golden sunshine to brighten up our winters. Mimosa has a sweet fragrance and can be used as a beautiful and unusual cut flower. We're lucky enough to live on the South Coast which is one of the few parts of the country that is mild enough for the mimosa to thrive.
Any mimosa you might find in a shop will have come from the Continent, typically from Italy. I haven't found a commercial British mimosa grower yet but, fortunately, I have some friendly local sources so the mimosa in this week's posy is locally grown.
Mimosa is from the Acacia family and its foliage has a special, sensitive characteristic, in which the leaflets fold themselves in at night. Not all mimosa is the same, so if you are considering one for the garden, choose carefully. The Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea' might be a good choice, as it's not too big and has pretty purple-tipped leaves.