Trees to 6 m. Stems strigillose, bark light gray, smooth, with inconspicuous scattered, brown­ish lenticels. Leaves 20–32 cm; stipules 2 mm; petiole 3–7.5 cm, glabrescent or puberulent; gland proximal or sub-basal, elliptic, length to 1.5 times width; pin­nae (4 or)5–12 pairs, 5.5–10 cm, with gland between 1 or 2 distal pairs; leaflets (13–)17–22(–36) pairs, blades not bicolored, oblong, 0.7–1.5 cm, venation palmate, midvein marginal or submarginal, base strongly asymmetric, truncate, apex acute, short-mucronate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely pubescent; terminal pair not heteromorphic. Peduncles 3–9 cm, densely strigulose; bracts linear-lanceolate, 2(–5) mm. Inflorescences 18–25-flowered, terminal or axillary, capitula; axis densely strigillose. Pedicels to 1 mm. Flowers: calyx campanulate, (2.5–)6 mm, lobes 5 or 6, glabrescent; corolla campanulate, (8–)12 mm, lobes 4 or 5, strigillose distally; stamens 32, white proximally, pink distally, 30–35 mm, tube (10–)12 mm; terminal or central flower calyx 3 mm, lobes 5, glabrous; corolla 9–12 mm, lobes 5; stamens 28 mm, tube long-exerted, to 18 mm. Legumes fuscous-ferruginous, 10–20 × 1.5–2.6 cm, margins straight or slightly constricted, base acute, apex rounded, narrowing to a beak to 1.5 cm, valves membranous, glabrescent, smooth or slightly rough. Seeds 6–8(–10), 9 × 5 mm. 2n = 26, 52.

Phenology: Flowering spring–summer; fruiting summer–fall.
Habitat: Disturbed roadsides, thickets, riverbanks.
Elevation: 100–700 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Introduced; Ala., Ark., Calif., Conn., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Kans., La., Md., Miss., Mo., N.J., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va., sw Asia, introduced also in Mexico, West Indies (Jamaica), South America (Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Uruguay), s Europe, s, se Asia, Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand).

Discussion

Albizia julibrissin is commonly cultivated and is thought to be the hardiest of the Albizia species. It is especially attractive when flowering; staminal filaments are deep pink, grading to white at the base. Albizia julibrissin forma rosea (Carrière) Rehder is a dwarf, bushier plant with bright pink flowers.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.