What Is Wrong With My Mimosa Tree?

Are the leaves yellowing, wilting, and dying, a white gummy liquid with an unpleasant odor may ooze from cracks in the trunk?

Are the leaves curled and covered with honeydew?

Are the leaves discolored, fine webbing may be present?

Are there any visible entrance holes in the trunk with frass, or excrement, coming out of them?

Have the leaves been skeletonized or with large holes in them, branches may be webbed?

Is there a black, sticky residue on the plant, small, white, cottony insects are present?

Fusarium wilt or mimosa wilt is the most serious disease of mimosa trees. No control for fusarium wilt is available. “Charlotte”, “Union”, and “Tryon” are three cultivars of the mimosa tree listed as having a resistance to fusarium wilt. Avoid overwatering and overfertilizing and prepare the ground before planting with solarization to kill any pathogens lingering in the soil.

Cause for leaf curling on mimosa trees are psyllids. The eggs and larvae of this tiny insect overwinter on buds and infest new leaves in spring. At the first sign of damage, spray your plant with insecticidal soap, or pyrethrin for serious infestations.

Spider mites are known to cause problems for mimosa trees. Hose off plants when symptoms first appear. A strong stream knocks mites off plants and may give control. Introduce predatory mites. For severe infestations, spray plants with insecticidal soap or pyrethrin.

Sensitive plant may be infested by carpenter worms, which are wood-boring caterpillars that can cause significant damage. Their hairy bodies are typically greenish-white, with a brown head. Adult carpenter worms are large moths, with mottled black and gray wings. To control carpenter worms, commercially available beneficial nematodes can be effective.

Mimosa webworms can be a serious problem for this plant. Webworms are caterpillars that feed on leaves and spin silken webs around leaves and stems. Young plants may die and the older ones can be seriously weakened. Break up and remove the webs and spray plants with BTK.

Cottony cushion scales leave a black, sticky residue behind after feeding. Cottony cushion scale damages a tree by sucking sap from the leaves, twigs, branches, and trunk. Infestations can cause a tree to become defoliated and cause dieback of the tree. Scrape off minor infestations with your fingernail. Control scales by spraying insecticidal oil during the growing season.

Poor water management, mineral deficiency, and nutrient excesses can greatly affect the health of the mimosa tree and can threaten its life. Regularly monitor the soil moisture near the tree’s root zone throughout the year, and adjust the irrigation as needed. Avoid overwatering or underwatering the plant, and promote deep root growth by watering deeply and infrequently.