Why on March 8 they give mimosa. How to keep mimosa fresh for a long time

We learned a picture that repeats itself from year to year before March 8th. I also bought these strong-smelling yellow flowers. Well, I hope you know, it's not a mimosa. Although the entire Internet is full of this, but if someone suddenly, by an absurd accident, does not know what flowers he buys for his women, and even more so does not know what a real mimosa looks like, you have one road - under the cut!

So let's find out...

The already mentioned mimosa has become a symbol of March 8 under a false name. In fact, what we used to call “mimosa” is officially considered a silver acacia in the Russian classification.

There is another name for it - Australian acacia, it was brought from Australia.

Our "yellow mimosa" belongs to the genus Acacia, it is from the legume family. It is a fast-growing evergreen tree up to 12 m high. Its trunk is prickly, and the foliage has a silvery-green color. The foliage of the "yellow mimosa" is very beautiful and similar in shape to the foliage of a fern. The unusual thing about silver acacia is that its flowering comes in winter and ends with the arrival of spring.

In our country, acacia has acclimatized on the Black Sea coast, in the Caucasus. Some plants in Sochi choose a special flowering season: not spring, but winter. These plants include acacia, the branches of which with yellow flowers in early spring called "mimosa" became familiar colors by March 8th. winter period flowering suggests that the silver acacia was brought from the southern hemisphere.

The real mimosa is a more modest lilac flower that never gives such luxurious inflorescences, although it belongs to the same family as the acacia. Although the Italian (Spanish and Catalan) name of this plant sounds like Mimosa.

Mimosa pudica - its homeland is the distant country of Brazil. This is an unusually interesting and beautiful plant from the legume family (mimosa subfamily).

Mimosa shy is not famous for appearance, a interesting property to fold their leaves when touched, for example, with a light flick of a finger. This is due to the presence of sensitive hairs at the base of its leaves that react to touch, and, due to a change in turgor, this leads to folding of the leaves. Again they open only after 30-60 minutes. The leaves of the plant fold on their own at night and unfold again with the first rays of the sun.

And here's how she can do it:

The sensitivity of the bashful mimosa is proverbial. The ability of its leaves to instantly fold up not only at night, but also with mechanical irritation, and then slowly return to its previous state is literally amazing.

On the the globe There are about 500 species of mimosa, most of which are common in tropical America and are represented by herbs, shrubs and trees. The name of the genus comes from the Greek word mimos - "mim", "actor" and reflects the plant's ability to "play". But only a few species show their characteristic reaction to touch, among them - everyone's favorite bashful mimosa.

In 1729, the French astronomer de Meyren reported the daily movements of the leaves of the bashful mimosa (Mimosa pudica). These movements were repeated with a certain periodicity, even if the plants were placed in darkness, where there were no such external stimuli as light, which suggested an endogenous origin. biological rhythms, to which the movements of the leaves of the plant were timed. De Meyren suggested that these rhythms may have something to do with the alternation of sleep and wakefulness in humans.

Decandol in 1832 determined that the period with which mimosa plants make these leaf movements is shorter than the length of the day and is approximately 22-23 hours.

AT room conditions it is grown as an annual plant, but in its homeland it is a branched thorny shrub.

is coming wonderful holiday March 8 International Women's Day. The air already smells like spring, warmth. The main gift for beloved women always remains. Our holiday has always been held with tulips and mimosa. These flowers are always associated with the holiday of March 8, with spring. At the beginning of March, tender mimosa branches with silver-green leaves and light golden beads appear in all cities of our country. Why is mimosa given to women on March 8? Because it spring flowers, and mimosa in many countries symbolizes the onset of spring.
The tradition of giving mimosa on March 8 came to Russia from Europe. Mimosa is not afraid of frost, and can withstand up to 10 degrees, and it blooms at the end of February. And a sprig of mimosa for a long time retains its freshness and its aroma. Mimosa comes from tropical America. Mimosa grows in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caucasus.
Mimosa belongs to the legume family, and this makes mimosa related to, and also the trunk of mimosa from the very top to the root is prickly, like that of acacia. The mimosa tree is tall and reaches a height of 30 meters. Mimosa is an evergreen tree. Mimosa has several names, it is a silver acacia, an Australian acacia, a bashful tree. Now, if you touch a branch of a mimosa tree, the mimosa hides its leaves, as it were, and after a while the leaves straighten out. In fact, botanists believe that this is how the tree is protected from tropical downpours. Did you know that mimosa flowers relieve fatigue and relieve stress.
In the language of flowers, mimosa means constancy, immutability, shyness.

Tulips are also spring flower and a symbol of the coming spring. Tulips can be white, pink, red, yellow, lilac. Tulips have various colors and bud shape. And the whites pink tulips, they are so gentle, symbolize purity.
A bouquet of tulips can be a great addition to any gift, besides, the color scheme of tulips allows us to choose them for every taste. The tulip has symbolized since ancient times pure love and great happiness. In the language of flowers, red tulips mean love, while yellow tulips mean admiration. The first information about the tulip was in Persia. The tulip resembled a Turkish turban and was called "dulbash", which means "turban" in translation, Russian name tulip flower. The country of tulips is Holland. Tulips have been grown there for hundreds of years. And Holland is the most major exporter these flowers. According to flower etiquette, tulip exquisite gift.

Roses can be given all year round for any holiday, but spring flowers only in spring. Mimosas and tulips represent spring, and these are wonderful. And isn't it for men to give all women such flowers.

I congratulate all girls, girls, women, grandmothers on the upcoming spring holiday on March 8. Love and be loved. Happy International Women's Day!!!

Child BY invites its readers to recall the best articles of the past year.

Again on the nose of March 8, again unusually confused men will run everywhere, carrying modest crumpled branches of mimosa in their hands. And this stupid mimosa from the dense Soviet times was associated with me exclusively with Women's Day. Especially when a man has no imagination.

What to gift? Mimosa!

And, probably, it is for this reason that no one ever gave me a mimosa! I'm an extraordinary woman! Mimosa doesn't work for me. And everything was there, except for her… I did not suffer, but rejoiced.

When I was a schoolgirl, there were no flowers. Then, when I became a student, all sorts of rose tulips began. Here I am a young specialist and teacher of the department.

And for many years in a row, for some reason, I find myself busy on the day when the team celebrates the holiday. I always have my own at home! Men at work traditionally buy mimosa from year to year.

And one day, when I also didn’t get to the “corporate”, I was simply asked to help, to carry ALL the mimosa from one building to another. I was handed a huge yellow sheaf wrapped in newspaper, and I went.

God, how did she SMELL! And with what a bright and joyful YELLOW LIGHT she SHINED in my hands! I inhaled her scent and sincerely did not understand how I could even consider her a banal flower for the holiday of March 8!

She smelled of the sun, light and ... happiness! I never made it to the pulpit that day, my mimosa went to someone else. And for the first time I felt … deprived!

France... Provence... Mimosa

It so happened that in next year I ended up in the spring in France, in Provence. There, one of the weekends, my French friend Martina suggested that I go to visit her mother in the countryside.

Martina took her two young grandchildren with her and we drove off. It was just the weekend after Easter. Traditionally, the French hide chocolate hares, lambs, eggs in the garden, and the children look for them and happily eat them when they find them.

And here I am, watching the children's searches in the garden... Martina habitually quarrels with her mother, they have known each other for a long time, they have some old scores of their own since childhood ...

There is a big, big mimosa growing next to the French country house. The sun shines just on her, she SMELLS unimaginably ... AND SHINES with a bright yellow LIGHT from the inside. There, right in the flowers, in warmth and in the LIGHT, a light-red cat lies on a branch.

He feels good, his eyes are closed, he purrs softly ... A whole tree that smells of HAPPINESS! The cat and I know about it. And more, it seems, none of those present ... A warm breeze shakes the fragrant branches. And in my country at that time it was dank, dark and damp ...

Another year has passed. March 8 was approaching. I saw a mimosa on sale and happily bought it. Big branch. For myself! Brought it home and put it in a vase.

For more than a week my house smelled of HAPPINESS. I inhaled the smell and instantly found myself in warm Provence, where, in general, there is no winter. There, even the ancient Romans, when they built their aqueduct a thousand years ago, could inhale the smell of mimosa heated by the sun.

It is there, in Provence, that our migratory birds! These are the same magical “warm lands” that fascinated me so much as a child. I closed my eyes and saw a ginger cat in Provence, who knew a lot about the simple joys of life.

And now, when I am already many years old, when I myself already have a daughter, I am looking forward to March 8th. No, I don't care who congratulates me and how and whether they congratulate me at all. This is the only day of the year when I can get a real living flower with the smell of HAPPINESS. I can't miss this day. Otherwise you'll have to whole year wait!

I will put it in a vase and be happy with every breath.

Now I know that all these awkward clumsy men on March 8 with mint mimosa in awkward hands are not really deprived of fantasy. They are trying to give us a little bit of HAPPINESS, but in every breath. Even if not for long, while a mimosa sprig smells in a vase in the kitchen ... Do we just notice it? And do they themselves realize it?

I wish you all a gentle warm spring and ... HAPPINESS! Let at least for a while, while YOUR mimosa smells. Happiness is a special state. The main thing is to feel it at least once, for the first time. And then it can come back on its own. Where you first smelled it.

Dear readers! What do men usually give you on March 8? How often do you receive flowers? Have you received a bouquet of mimosa as a gift? We are waiting for your comments!

DEAR LADIES, LADIES, GIRLS, DAUGHTERS, MOTHERS, GRANDMAS!

I CONGRATULATE YOU WITH A BEAUTIFUL HOLIDAY OF SPRING, RENEWAL AND JOYFUL ANTIASTATION OF HAPPINESS!

MAY YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF THE BEAUTIFUL ALWAYS COME TRUE!

HEALTH TO YOU, BEAUTY, LOVE AND WELFARE!

The innocent mimosa shone with beauty,
The wind fed her with silvery dew,
And she turned the leaves to the sun,
To plunge into dreams again at night.
In a beautiful garden woke up from a dream,
Like the Genius of Love, young Spring;
Grass and flowers awakened for dreams,
Forcing them to forget about the winter frost.
But in the field, in the garden, and in the forest, and by the rocks
Nobody so o tender love didn't dream
Like a young doe in the midday heat,
With Mimosa, being akin to a dream.
/ K. Balmont /

Mimosa has long been associated with the holiday of March 8. This is already a kind of symbol of spring, although it grows in the southern regions.

How nice it is to receive these fragrant twigs for the holiday, and even from your favorite hands!

In general, a mimosa is not a mimosa at all! 🙂

In Russia, in everyday speech, mimosa is often called some types of acacia - another kind of subfamily Mimosa, most often - silver acacia ( Acacia dealbata). This species is widespread on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, and the branches of this particular plant are traditional gift for International Women's Day. (Wikipedia)

Mimosa(lat. Mimosa) is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family ( Fabaceae). Previously, this plant was placed in the now disbanded Mimosa family (Mimosaceae R.Br.). The genus consists of herbs, shrubs or medium size trees with bipinnate leaves. Grows predominantly in South America and in Australia.

In total, there are more than 600 types of mimosa. Among them are such species as: Mimosa aculeaticarpa Ortega, Mimosa arenosa (Willd.) Poir, Mimosa asperata L., Mimosa borealis Gray, Mimosa pudica L. typus - Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poir.

Most known species- bashful mimosa ( mimosa pudica). Herbaceous plant 30-60 cm tall; its bipinnate leaves are especially sensitive, folding and descending in the dark from the very light touch and other annoying reasons. Other types of mimosas have similar irritability. Growing in Brazil. Often bred for decoration and physiological experiments.

Silver acacia, or Acacia bleached(lat. Acacia dealbata) - a species of trees from the genus Acacia ( Acacia) of the legume family ( Fabaceae). This is an evergreen fast-growing tree 10-12 m high (at home up to 45 m). The trunk of the acacia is prickly, and the leaves are silver-green in color (hence the name of the species - Silver Acacia). The leaves are very beautiful and similar in shape to fern leaves. The unusualness of the silver acacia is that flowering occurs in winter and ends in early spring.

Silver acacia is native to the southeast coast of Australia and the island of Tasmania. Widely distributed and naturalized in southern Europe, South Africa, the western United States, the Azores and Madagascar. In Russia (on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus), this species has been cultivated since 1852.

For many countries, "mimosa" (silver acacia) is a symbol of the arrival of spring. In some countries, festivals dedicated to mimosa are held, celebrating this day magnificently. France and Montenegro are among such countries.

Acacia silver blooms in such a joyful, spring bright yellow that you can not resist the temptation to put a couple of branches at home in transparent vase or create a more complex floral arrangement.

Yellow acacia flowers dry out quickly without proper care. Here are some tips to prolong the life of this fluffy, colorful wonder.

Wrap the bouquet in newspaper and leave for a while in a very hot water, in order for the buds to bloom faster. Otherwise, they will shrivel and dry out before opening. The ends of the stems must first be crushed. If the flowers shrivel, they are held over steam to make them fluffy again. The plant does not like dry air. Mimosa inflorescences are sprayed cold water. After cutting, the ends of the stems are crushed.

Before putting cut branches of mimosa into a vase, you need to remove the lower leaves. In water, fresh mimosa does not crumble for 3-4 days, and without water it can last even longer. To increase the fluffiness of the branches, sellers sometimes dip them into boiling water. After such a procedure, flowering yellow twigs look especially beautiful and fresh, but not for long, the very next day they can crumble. “Boiled” mimosa is easy to recognize - it has no smell. (According to www.florets.ru)

Branches of blooming mimosa are good in any composition, but how great it looks in the works of a real master florist. She focuses attention on herself as a dominant, and serves as an addition and background for other spring flowers. The imagination of the master is boundless. Therefore, I propose to be inspired by the floral masterpieces of the Italian florist

March 7, 2016

The first spring holiday and stalls filled the streets with fragrant yellow flowers- mimosas. Fragrant brushes made of small balls of sunny color have firmly entered the consciousness and are associated exclusively with March 8th. Ladies spoiled by attention and flowers may believe that only greedy or unimaginative men give mimosas. Alas, yellow bouquets lost popularity in the 90s, they probably reminded too sharply of Soviet times and deficit. I wanted to get a million on March 8 Red roses in creative packaging from multi-colored cellophane instead of a branch of mimosa in a newspaper ... But can the lively spring aroma of these flowers compare with an odorless greenhouse rose? Green Portal is in defense of sunny March bouquets!

We'll open it right away main secret: holiday flowers are called "mimosas" by mistake. Actually this acacia silver(Acacia Dealbata), a real mimosa, she has distant relative. The only thing these plants have in common is the legume family. An attempt to name the main flower on March 8 as a yellow mimosa will also be a failure - the name is already taken, and the Caragana plant bears it.

The real homeland of a plant with yellow fragrant flowers is Australia, but in Russia it can be found on the Black Sea coast. Acacia silver is a fairly tall tree with a spreading crown or a wide bush.

Flowering time begins in February, and ends in spring, in April. Our heroine was named silver because of the gray-ash color of the foliage and the light whitish bloom on the branches.

If you live in warm regions, then you can easily grow "mimosa" (in quotation marks to make it clear that we are talking about silver acacia) in your garden. But the plant will not withstand the harsh winter of the middle zone, it will freeze and die. Residents of cold regions can try to grow a silver acacia at home, and if there is a winter garden or greenhouse, this will be the most the best option. For the summer, room "mimosa" can be planted in open ground, after arranging for her several sessions of hardening (for this you need to open all the windows and ventilate the room, each time increasing the cooling time). When the time for cold weather comes, it is necessary to return the sissy home.

"Mimosa" propagates easily (by cuttings or seeds), requires almost no care, does not need pruning. To germinate seeds, soak them in warm water(about 40 degrees), and after two days, plant in a mixture of sand and peat. Seedlings appear fairly quickly and grow well.

In spring or autumn, you can plant a silver acacia with apical cuttings. Place them in a sand-peat mixture and wait for them to take root. It is advisable to place your landings in warm place where the temperature is between 20 and 25 degrees. The grown bushes are transplanted as they grow, not forgetting to feed them with mineral fertilizers and organic matter.

"Mimosa" loves sunny, wind-protected areas with fertile soil. Abundance of moisture does not require, drought-resistant. Silver acacia in favorable conditions gives a noticeable increase in order for the crown to be more magnificent, it is recommended to work with a pruner and cut out weak, poorly located and overgrown branches.

Acacia silver and real mimosa are slightly similar to each other, except for the shape of the leaves.

Mimosa (note, without quotes!) can be a tree, shrub or herbaceous plant, and its species grow in hot and humid countries (mainly in South America). This means that this exotic beauty cannot be grown in a dacha in central Russia. The only one possible variant existence - indoor, and even then not for all types, because you can’t place a tree in a small apartment ... However, mimosa bashful(Mimosa pudica) can be grown as an annual.

If the summer is warm, sunny, and the gardener does not stint on watering, then it will become unusual decoration for the flower garden. For sowing, you need to collect seeds and sow them in February-March, the plant reproduces worse with cuttings.

Mimosa shy is a low shrub with thorns on the stems, feathery light green leaves and pink light colors in the form of balls. In addition, mimosa is very sensitive to touch - it is worth touching it slightly, as the branches fall, and the leaves fold. The same metamorphosis occurs with the plant at night, but in the morning the touchy again takes former form. By the way, it is this feature that is reflected in the name of the flower, mimosa seems to be embarrassed by excessive attention ... Look at the photo: on the left, the leaves under the flower are open, and on the right they have shrunk.

There are many myths and legends associated with bashful mimosa. A Philippine legend tells that bandits attacked the family of the shy girl Maria, the mother of the little girl began to pray for her daughter, and by this prayer the little girl was turned into a flower. And this flower remained as shy as the girl was.

There is a belief that a shy mimosa folds leaves when a deceiver and a liar appear. And botanists give their explanations for the “shamefulness” of the plant: this is how it protects itself from tropical rains or from living creatures that can eat it. The bashful mimosa itself does not eat anyone - this is not an insectivorous plant, for life it needs a little earth, sun and water.

The bashful mimosa has another protective mechanism - the roots of the plant begin to smell unpleasant if you touch them. Interestingly, not all touches react. This feature was carefully studied by the American scientist Rabbi Musah. He conducted a study and found that the roots are indifferent to touching glass or metal, and warm hand will definitely make them exude a bad aroma. You can feel it, for example, when transplanting. By the way, silver acacia also has this property, although its roots have a more tolerable smell, reminiscent of garlic.

As for the bashful mimosa flowers, they smell pleasant. Understanding people characterize the smell as fruity, honey, vegetable, invigorating. If the room is too cold, if there is little light or the soil is poor, then the plant may not bloom.

The most popular variety of "touchy" is considered to be 'Campina'. She has pink spherical inflorescences and feathery leaves resembling a fern. Mimosa bashful Campina is inexpensive, sprouts well and blooms well. Keep the plant pot in the sunniest window and away from curious household members who like to watch how the mimosa reacts to touch. If you disturb the touchy too often, she will forget how to "fold" or will not stand it. constant stress and dry up.

Note to smokers: bashful mimosa does not tolerate the smell of tobacco smoke and sheds leaves, so quit smoking or do not start a capricious touchy at home.

Pink-lilac balls of blooming shy mimosa look exotic and unusual, but it is unlikely that you will be able to make a decent bouquet from this plant. Mimosa is good in a pot in a conspicuous place, and let the fragrant branches of silver acacia take the place in a vase.

It is not for nothing that the fragrance of these solar flower balls is often used by perfumers to create perfumes. The smell of yellow branches of "mimosa" is the smell of the coming spring and women's holiday!