Silk tree
3
2
7Will it grow where I live?
Silk tree is hardy to zone 7: lowlands, river valleys and cities across Central Europe are fine, harsher continental or upland sites need winter protection or a container. It also needs warm summers – in Central Europe that means wine-growing regions, cities or a sheltered south-facing wall.
Or check it for your location right here:
Profile
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Height
- 12 m
- Spread
- 8 m
- Growth
- fast
- Lifespan
- 50 years
- First yield
- after 4 years
- Hardiness
- zone 7–11
- Shade tolerance
- full sun
- Soil
- Sand, Silt, Loam
- Soil moisture
- very dry – moist
- pH
- 5.5 – 7.5
- Synonyms
- Acacia mollis, Acacia julibrissin
Flowering & harvest
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowering | ||||||||||||
| Fruit harvest |
Uses
Edible: Young leaves are cooked and have an aromatic flavor, used as a potherb. Flowers can be cooked and eaten as vegetables. Dried leaves are used as a tea substitute.
Medicinal: Antiperiodic, antirheumatic. Used in the treatment of colic, hemorrhoids, constipation, and whooping cough. This medication is used to treat various conditions such as colic, hemorrhoids, constipation, and whooping cough. It has antiperiodic and antirheumatic effects.
Other uses: Rubber-like extract from the plant is used as a plaster. The wood is dense, hard, and sturdy, suitable for furniture, industrial applications, firewood, and other purposes.
Origin & habitat
Western Asia and Eastern Asia - Iran to China.
Offene sonnige Schluchten, Wälder und Flussufer bis zu 2100 Metern im Himalaya.
⚠️ Hazards
Albizia julibrissin contains toxic alkaloids in its leaves and seeds, posing a threat to animals. Other African Albizia species are recognized as livestock poisons.
Frequently asked questions
Silk tree: how big does it get?
Silk tree (Albizia julibrissin) grows as a Tree and reaches roughly 12 m in height when mature, with a spread of about 8 m. Growth is fast.
Silk tree: what site does it need?
Silk tree tolerates full sun. Suitable soils are Sand, Silt, Loam. Soil moisture should be in the range very dry – moist. The pH may lie between 5.5 and 7.5.
Silk tree: is it hardy?
Silk tree is listed as hardy in zone 7–11 and survives normal winters outdoors there.
Silk tree: will it grow in Central Europe?
Silk tree is hardy to zone 7: lowlands, river valleys and cities across Central Europe are fine, harsher continental or upland sites need winter protection or a container. It also needs warm summers – in Central Europe that means wine-growing regions, cities or a sheltered south-facing wall.
Silk tree: when does it flower?
In a temperate northern-hemisphere climate it flowers in June.
Silk tree: when is it harvested?
In a temperate northern-hemisphere climate the fruit ripens from October to November.
Silk tree: is it poisonous?
Individual parts of Silk tree are noted as mildly problematic — the plant does not count as poisonous. With wild plants, never rely on a database alone, only on a confident identification.
Silk tree: what is it used for?
Rated on a scale up to 10: Edible 3/10, Medicinal 2/10, Other uses 7/10.
Plan this plant into your own garden
Permaplans plans your garden to scale on the map — with a site check, harvest calendar and over 1,000 plants. Free for iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows & Linux.
Will this plant grow where you live? → Check your site
Community experience
No first-hand reports for this plant yet.
Growing it? Write in the app what works for you – your post will show up here.
💬 Get the app and join in