Aggravating beauty

Ever been bitten in the backside by something that looked really good in the beginning?

The silky, showy petals of the mimosa are a common sight along roadways in eastern Tennessee. Many people, though - among them the highway workers who must continually clear away this hardy, fast-growing plant - now consider them weeds.

Like kudzu , the mimosa tree is not originally native to the U.S. But once introduced in the south, it found an ideal climate for growth, often to the detriment of native species. The government considers the mimosa an invasive species of plant and has active programs to manage its spread.

I just thought they were pretty, so I brought back a photo. Hope that was a good idea.

Click on photo to enlarge. Copyright 2005 James Jordan