Question
Hi, me again. I'm trying to identify a tree.

sorry I have no pictures.

I live in Alabama, USA zone 7-8.

We had one of these trees when I was little. I haven't seen one in years. This year I'm seeing them everywhere. I will try to describe them.

They look like some sort of a small palm tree or a very large fern.
The leaves are flat, rounded and thin, and grow like a fern's leaves. Crap what is that called? not alternating.... like this

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Each branch has clumps of pretty pink flowers growing in clusters near the end of the branches.

I have only seen them growing in the shade of much taller trees. They're mostly short and low to the ground.

If I recall from when I was little, their seed pods were like bean pods. when they dropped from the ground they were flat, brown and crispy and were EVERYwhere in the roads and driveways of my neighborhood.

I used to love getting them and splitting them open, etc etc..

do you have any idea what they might be?

---------------- ALSO --------------

I was the one that contacted you about my dying baby dogwood. I think it is finally dead.. when I scratch the branches, they snap easily. only the base of the trunk scrapes green.

I don't know what to do :(

Answer
Hi Desirai,
thanx for your question.  I think you are speaking of the mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissin) also called the silk tree.  It's a very common tree in the Southern half of the U.S.  We have them here in the KC area but this is about their northern limit.  I have one in my backyard and my great aunt had  a huge one in her front yard on her farm in SW Missouri.  They don't grow very tall but the can make a wonderul canopy and look so tropical, don't they?  They don't do as well much farther north.  They have become an invasive pest in much of the deep South.  When I was in Atlanta a while back, I saw billions of them all over the city.  T here is also a version that blooms white.  

The state of Alabama considers this tree a non-native invasive species.

http://www.aces.edu/forestry/invasive/

As far as your dogwood goes, it is not dead yet.  I think it has been severely stressed.  Keep watering it and mulch it so it's roots can stay cool.  Hopefully, it will survive until fall.  I hope this helps.
Tom