Chocolate Fountain™ Weeping Mimosa

‘NCAJ1’, sold as Chocolate Fountain™, is a small deciduous silk tree with pendulous branching, dark burgundy mature leaflets and pinkish summer flower clusters. Its cascading outline and foliage make it a focal specimen for a warm, sunny garden with room for a trained tree form. ## Cultivar and size The [U.S. plant patent](https://patents.google.com/patent/USPP25813P3/en) identifies the cultivar as ‘NCAJ1’, developed at North Carolina State University, and distinguishes its combination of pendulous growth and burgundy foliage. It reports an approximate mature size of 2–3 m tall by 1–2 m wide, summer flowering and USDA zones 7–10. Young plants need staking and training if a tree form is desired. The foliage emerges green before maturing to dark burgundy; pinkish flowers have a slight sweet fragrance. Patent descriptions record that fruit and seed had not been observed in the trial plants, which does not establish sterility. ## Siting Plant in full sun for strong foliage color and flowering. The patent’s measured specimen was a two-year-old container plant grown in full sun with drip irrigation, so its dimensions are a cultivar reference rather than a guarantee for every landscape. Allow room for a cascading crown, and consider species-level mimosa reseeding concerns in regions where Albizia julibrissin escapes cultivation. ## Maintenance Stake and train a young specimen until its intended framework is established. Thereafter, remove damaged or crossing growth as needed and water during establishment and prolonged dry periods. Do not assume this cultivar is sterile from the patent’s limited observation of fruiting.