Mimosa

I came across this robust clump of yellow mimosa in a street near my home, where a terrace of houses is painted in an array of pastel shades.

It’s a vibrant, fascinating plant which chooses to bloom in the winter months. Its pale yellow, berry-like buds explode into puffs of flower, while the foliage is made up of neat, pale green fronds.

Yellow mimosa is positively revered in parts of southern France, prompting festivals and even a trail to be named in its honour. Ironically, as I took these photographs, a French lady passed by to tell me all about it.

What a tonic to see this light up the neighbourhood, almost banishing the cold away.

11 thoughts on “Mimosa”

Mark Simms on March 2, 2014 at 08:29 said:

Lovely images Mike…..great DoF

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- mikeosbornphoto on March 2, 2014 at 10:08 said:
  
  Thank you very much, Mark.
  
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leecleland on March 2, 2014 at 02:41 said:

Beautiful images and love the sepia feathered fronds. It seems strange to me to hear a wattle called Mimosa, if we refer to wattles by any other name than ‘wattle’ it would be by their species ‘Acacia’. I’m no expert, I had to check in my Wildflowers of Australia book but it peeked my interest. :) We have over 500 kinds of wattle in Australia, again the book. Have heard that there is always a wattle in flower at any time of the year, a hardy species for our climate.

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- mikeosbornphoto on March 2, 2014 at 10:06 said:
  
  Thank you Lee. I’m not surprised to hear it’s an entirely different thing down there on the southern “island” :-) I think there are a number of different varieties of mimosa too, but it’s the yellow one that has passed into legend thanks to the French.
  
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ckponderings on March 1, 2014 at 17:38 said:

Great images! Nice macro and tightly focussed shots, and a nice hint of spring! :)

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- mikeosbornphoto on March 1, 2014 at 20:08 said:
  
  Thanks Richard :) All hail the mimosa!
  
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~Aisling on March 1, 2014 at 11:09 said:

*-* :)

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- mikeosbornphoto on March 1, 2014 at 11:22 said:
  
  Thank you!
  
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  - ~Aisling on March 1, 2014 at 11:29 said:
    
    ;)
    
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Laura Bloomsbury on March 1, 2014 at 10:42 said:

You’ve captured the delicacy of leaf and globular blooms so well – if only the sensational Mimosa aroma could have been locked up in these images.

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- mikeosbornphoto on March 1, 2014 at 11:24 said:
  
  Thank you very much, Laura. I must admit I didn’t notice the fragrance… the blooms had only just started bursting, though. Maybe an argument for click and sniff photographs?!
  
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