Sunshine mimosa
Mimosa strigillosa

Found in Central and North Florida across to Texas in both wet and very dry sites.  This plant will tolerate extremely dry soil such as the dunes of St. Augustine during a drought as well as wet soils along river flood plains.  All it needs are full of sun and slightly fertile soil.

The leaves rise only two inches while the flower stalk is three inches tall.  The one inch round pink flower heads make this a beautiful ground cover in the spring and summer, especially when mixed with coreopsis.

Leaf nodes are one to three inches apart and send down a taproot which anchors the plant and keeps it from climbing.

Can be walked and driven on and makes a great grass replacement.  It is also a larval food plant for the Little Yellow butterfly.