Summer Chocolate Mimosa Tree

Albizia julibrissin ‘Summer Chocolate’ is a small deciduous ornamental tree with airy, fernlike leaves that emerge green, turn dark red, and mature to reddish bronze or brown. Pinkish flowers appear in summer, while the open, vase-shaped crown gives the tree a light, filtered appearance. ## Foliage and placement Oregon State University lists the cultivar at about 6 m tall by 4.6 m wide and hardy to USDA zone 6. Its original selection was found by Dr. Masato Yokoi in Japan; Oregon State records Hines Nursery as the patent assignee. Plant it in a sunny or partly shaded site with room for the broad crown. The Royal Horticultural Society recommends a warm, sheltered, freely draining position and protection during severe cold in marginal climates. ## Regional considerations The species is invasive in parts of the southeastern United States. NC State Extension reports that ‘Summer Chocolate’ is sterile and does not reseed as rampantly as the species, but check local guidance and do not assume that sterility removes all ecological concerns. The tree can drop leaves, flowers, and seedpods; avoid planting where cleanup or weak branching would create problems. Its US plant patent is PP13,822; Google Patents lists the record as “Expired—Lifetime,” while noting that this status is not a legal conclusion. ## Maintenance Water through establishment and during dry spells; reduce irrigation after roots are established. No routine pruning is needed. Remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches during dormancy, and clear fallen foliage and pods from nearby paths. Sources: [Oregon State University](https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/albizia-julibrissin-summer-chocolate), [RHS](https://rhs.crocdn.co.uk/plants/_/albizia-julibrissin-summer-chocolate/classid.2000018109/), [NC State Extension](https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/albizia-julibrissin/common-name/mimosa/), [patent record](https://patents.google.com/patent/USPP13822P2/en).