* A botanist who landed on the banks of Australia with Captain James COOK (1768 – 1771) were the first to bring the Acacia (Mimosa) seeds over to England. It seems that the first reported samples were given to the “Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew” where they first grew. By early 19th century the Mimosa were grown in greenhouses and in the private gardens of wealthy English merchants wintering in South of France. Their hybrids grow today, in a wild state, from the southern slopes of the Massif des Maures and Tanneron to Nice and the Italian Riviera.
Sometime between February and early March the beautiful cascading Mimosa blossoms in the South of France, filling the winter hills with a yellow mist. This delicate flower life span is so short that it feels like a passing crush. For a few short weeks the Mimosa becomes the Queen of the Riviera, the only royalty that the French condone. And the region is transformed into a big flower carnival with parades in the cities and villages.
** Photos were taken in late-February at Tanneron, the largest Mimosa forest in Europe which overlooks the bay of Mandelieu-la Napoule.
Bellissimo bella!!!!
Grazie!!!! 🙂