ALBIZIA

'''Albizia''' (syn. ''Albizzia'' Benth.) is a genus of about 150 species of mostly fast-growing subtropical and tropical trees and shrubs in the Subfamily Mimosoideae of the legume family, Fabaceae. The genus is pantropical, occurring in Asia, Africa, Madagascar, Central, South, and southern North America and Australia, but mostly in the Old World tropics.


These are usually small trees or shrubs with a short lifespan. The leaves are pinnately or bipinnately compound. Their small flowers are in bundles, with showy stamens much longer than the petals. Some species are considered weeds.
''Albizia'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of some moths of the genus ''Endoclita'' inclulding ''E. damor'', ''E. malabaricus'' and ''E. sericeus''.
One species ''Albizia julibrissin'', the Silk Tree or 'Pink Siris', extends well north into temperate regions in east Asia and is by far the cold-hardiest species, tolerating temperatures down to about -30°C, provided it gets adequate summer heat to ripen the shoots. In North America, where it is commonly grown as an ornamental tree, it is often confusingly called "mimosa", a name which correctly belongs to species in the related genus ''Mimosa''. In several US States, ''A. julibrissin'' has become naturalized and is regarded as an invasive species.
''Albizia moluccana'' (now ''Falcataria moluccana'') is a common shade tree on tea plantations.