Albizia procera – Tall Albizia (White Siris)
Albizia procera, tall albizia, known as white siris, is a fast-growing tropical tree from the legume family (Fabaceae), recognizable by its light, greenish-white bark. It is valued both as an ornamental, shade, and utility tree – providing valuable timber and enriching the soil with nitrogen as a leguminous plant.
Synonyms and nomenclature
The species was described by Bentham (1844), with the basionym Mimosa procera Roxb. The Kew POWO database lists about 10 synonyms; the most important include:
- Mimosa procera Roxb. (basionym)
- Acacia procera (Roxb.) Willd.
- Feuilleea procera (Roxb.) Kuntze
- Albizia elata (Roxb.) J.F.Watson
- Acacia elata (Roxb.) Voigt
- Albizia procera var. elata (Roxb.) Baker
- Inga gracilis Jungh. ex Miq.
- Mimosa coriaria Blanco
- Mimosa elata Roxb.
In English, the plant is called "white siris," "tall albizia," and "forest siris," and in Hindi "safed siris" (safed = "white"); the Polish name is albicja wysoka. The epithet procera means "very tall" in Latin.
Origin and appearance
The species' natural range includes tropical and subtropical Asia to Queensland in Australia – from the Indian subcontinent, through southern China and Southeast Asia, to New Guinea and Australia. It has also been introduced to the Caribbean, Africa, and Central America, where it is sometimes considered invasive. It is a fast-growing, deciduous tree usually 7–15 m tall, sometimes reaching up to 30 m.
Its distinctive feature is the light, smooth, greenish-white to light gray bark, peeling to reveal a reddish tint. The leaves are large, bipinnate, with 2–5 pairs of leaflets; the tree sheds them briefly during the dry season. The flowers are greenish-yellow to creamy, with long, threadlike white stamens forming fluffy "pom-poms," arranged in panicles 8–25 cm long. The fruit is a flat, thin, reddish-brown pod containing several to a dozen seeds.
Frost tolerance and cultivation
Albizia julibrissin is a tropical and subtropical tree, frost-sensitive (USDA zones 10–11). In temperate climates, it is grown in a pot, in full sun, protected from frost. It is exceptionally undemanding: it grows best in fertile soils but also copes well in dry, sandy, shallow, rocky, and even saline and alkaline substrates, and once established, it is drought-resistant. As a legume plant, it fixes atmospheric nitrogen and enriches the soil.
Cultivation from seeds
Fresh seeds germinate very abundantly (90–100%) and quickly, without the need for treatment. Stored seeds with hardened coats are briefly scalded with boiling water, then soaked overnight in cool water before sowing – this almost doubles germination rates; gentle scarification also helps. Seeds are sown in warm, moist substrate; seedlings quickly develop a taproot, so direct sowing into final containers works well. This is one of the easier trees to grow from seed.
Uses
This versatile tree is both useful and ornamental: it provides hard, valued wood (furniture, veneers, constructions), firewood, and charcoal, and its leaves are valuable fodder. It is planted as a shade tree for tea and coffee, as a windbreak, for reclamation of degraded and saline soils, and as an avenue tree. The bark provides tannins and dyes, and gum obtained from the trunk serves as a substitute for gum arabic. In our offer, it is primarily an impressive, fast-growing collector’s tree.
Interesting facts
A reddish-brown gum with properties similar to gum arabic flows from the trunk of Albizia julibrissin, used as its substitute. The tree is exceptionally vigorous – seedlings, young and mature specimens readily resprout after cutting, and root suckers form when roots are exposed; it grows so fast that in some regions it is considered invasive.
Summary
Albizia julibrissin is a graceful, fast-growing tree with light bark and fluffy flowers, one of the easiest to grow from seed and enriching the soil with nitrogen. It is a good choice for collectors seeking an impressive, exotic plant – it only requires warmth and protection from frost.
