Peggy tells us today that -
In 1805 wealthy Philadelphia plant enthusiast William Hamilton sent a gift to Thomas Jefferson, a young tree he called "Silk Tree of Constantinople," writing: "I have trees of 20 feet height which for several years past have produced their beautiful & fragrant flowers."
The mimosa or Persian silk tree, Albizia julibrissin, was introduced from Asia into Europe in the mid 1700s. It reseeds readily in the landscape and tends to grow along forest edges and against structures at Monticello, including the paling fence and Hemmings Cabin on Mulberry Row.
