Question
I live in Taos, NM.  I am wondering if I can grow a Mimosa here, since my son sent me some pods from a tree in Missouri.  I also have Caltalpa seeds, will they grow here?

Answer
Yes both will grow in NM. Make sure the pods are completely dry, like paper.  Mimosas are from the legume family and their brown seeds look like small beans.  They germinate easily without stratification (cold treatment).  Plant the seeds in a pot of moist potting soil about 1/2 inch deep.  Germination occurs in 10 days at 75 degrees F.  The first leaves are seed leaves or cotelydons.  The true leaves will be small copies of the delicate fronds of the tree.  Allow the seedlings to get about 8 inches tall before planting in a spot that gets full sun.  

The catalpa are grown about the same--let the pods dry and split open and plant he seeds as above.