Mimosa

 We have always liked the Mimosa Tree. We decided early on when thinking about our Farm that we would have them on the property, my plan calls for six of these fast growing, Summer flowering, lovely things. We found a tree in town and took a few seed pods, then sprouted a few and one has been in the ground for three years now. The other is in a five gallon pot waiting for me to get busy and dig a hole for it. We liked it for the pretty. But as it turns out the Mimosa is a medicinal tree too. Something worth discussing here.

Mimosa (Albizia julibrissin) comes in many shapes and sizes, under slight variations as to name. For our purposes we're going to stay with the tree, rather than the schrub, and the pink flowering "silk" tree as well. This is the most common version of the species. 

It is fast growing and very popular in landscape design world wide and it sees to grow redily in most temperate zone climates. Because it is fast growing it is prone to disease and is thought of as slightly invasive die to prolific seed pod generation. The tree is deciduous but weathers well in our garden during Winter months of cold and snow.

Use: The bark and flowers of this tree are most often used to make anti-anxiety and anti-depressive teas and tinctures, but salves and even jellies are made from extractions. In some places the tree is called the "Happiness Tree".  Medicinally the main medicinal portions are the flowers and the tree bark. While the flowers tend to have more uplifting and mood enhancing properties, the bark is more sedative and lifts the spirit when there is grief, sorrow, insomnia and anxiety. The plant is said to be anti-oxidant and cancer fighting as well. But it is mostly used to lift the spirits and help raise depressive moods. This is the use we are most interested in. There are no indications that remedies made from this plant have ill side effects or drug interactions if taken in moderation. Preparation: When preparing to use the bark, to make tinctures or teas, find branches that are a few years older than the newest growth, these will have bark with a thicker interior sub-surface. Pruning a Mimosa tree is always a good idea since the tree is very fast growing and, since it can reach as tall as fifty feet in just a few short years and become quite heavy in the branch which leads into wind damage. After taking your cuttings, simply slip a sharp knife between the branch and the bark and you will be able to pull strips of bark off easily. Preparing tea is as simple as putting one teaspoon of bark (preferably dried, but this is not necessary) into a cup of water and simmering for fifteen minutes. For tinctures it is always best to dry the bark first and this is made easier by the low density and moisture contained in the bark itself. Just lay it out on a table in the heat of Summer and it should be ready in a day or so. Then follow the normal tincture routine. The tincture will be usable in four to six weeks. When preparing flowers for use, simply collect as many as you can during the high Summer months. This tree flowers in great abundance so taking flowers will cut down on seed pod cleanup in early Winter. Drying the flowers before use in a cool dry place or dehydrator set on its lowest setting will give a better result when making tinctures. Preparing tea might use fresh or dried flowers, but if you plan on storing the flowers you really should dry them to avoid mold. Making tincture takes quite a few flowers and it is best to dry them before making tincture. Dosage: Boiled bark tea can be mixed with many other medicinal and flavorful herbs. The tea on it's own is a bit bitter so adding cranberry or stevia and mint to your tea will make it taste a bit better. Using Earl Grey or Orange Pekoe as an additive won't change the effects much but improve the flavor. After the tea cools a bit drinking as much as a half cup, four time a day, should give you the lift you need. With Bark tinctures it is always a good idea to start with a teaspoon dose and increase dosage if needed. This can be repeated up to four times a day without worry of over-doing it and there are no significant drug interactions to worry over. Flower based remedies are much the same for dosage. Further distillation of alcohol tinctures can lead into the realm of the unknown.