Persian Silk Tree

Appearance

''A. julibrissin'' is a small deciduous tree growing to 5–12 m tall, with a broad crown of level or arching branches. The bark is dark greenish grey in colour and striped vertically as it gets older.

The leaves are bipinnate, 20–45 cm long and 12–25 cm broad, divided into 6–12 pairs of pinnae, each with 20–30 pairs of leaflets; the leaflets are oblong, 1–1.5 cm long and 2–4 mm broad.

The flowers are produced throughout the summer in dense inflorescences, the individual flowers with no petals but a tight cluster of stamens 2–3 cm long, white or pink with a white base, looking like silky threads. They have been observed to be attractive to bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The fruit is a flat brown pod 10–20 cm long and 2–2.5 cm broad, containing several seeds inside.

There are two varieties:
⤷  ''A. julibrissin'' var. ''julibrissin''. The typical variety, described above.
⤷  ''A. julibrissin'' var. ''mollis''. Differs in the shoots being densely hairy.

Naming

The genus is named after the Italian nobleman Filippo degli Albizzi, who introduced it to Europe in the mid-18th century, and it is sometimes incorrectly spelled ''Albizzia''. The specific epithet ''julibrissin'' is a corruption of the Persian word ''gul-i abrisham'' which means "silk flower".

Uses

''A. julibrissin'' is widely planted as an ornamental plant in parks and gardens, grown for its leaf texture and flowers. The broad crown of a mature tree makes it useful for providing dappled shade. The flower colour varies from white in ''A. julibrissin'' f. ''alba'', to rich red-tipped flowers. Variants with cream or pale yellow flowers are also reported. Other cultivars are becoming available: 'Summer Chocolate' has red foliage ageing to dark bronze, with pale pink flowers; 'Ishii Weeping' has a drooping growth habit.The seeds are used as a food for livestock and by wildlife, and the sweet-scented flowers are a good nectar source for honeybees and butterflies.

''A. julibrissin'' has been found to possess antidepressant effects in mice, most likely mediated through 5-HT1A receptors. In traditional Chinese medicine ''Albizzia jublibrissin'' is used to nourish the heart and calm the spirit.