Soil series profile
Mimosa soil series
Mimosa is a well drained soil with a silt loam surface, mapped on 443,864 acres in 32 counties across 2 states. Hydrologic group C.
- Drainage class
- Well drained >99% of mapped acres
- Hydrologic group
- C >99% of mapped acres
- Typical topsoil pH
- 5.6 moderately acidic · range 5.6–5.6
- Mapped area
- 444k acres in 32 counties, 2 states
Typical Mimosa profile
Texture and pH by depth
Show as a table
| Depth | Texture | pH | Clay | Sand | Organic matter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–6 in (Ap) | Silt loam | 5.6 | 25% | 21% | 1.5% |
| 6–40 in (Bt) | Clay | 5.5 | 45% | 16% | 0.25% |
| 40–50 in (BC) | Clay | 5.5 | 56% | 7% | 0.25% |
| 50–55 in (C) | Clay | 6.9 | 61% | 10% | 0.25% |
| 55–65 in (R) | Bedrock | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
What this means
What Mimosa soil means for gardens, lawns and septic systems
For gardens
Typical topsoil in Mimosa soils is moderately acidic: pH 5.6. Many vegetables grow well here, and some gardens benefit from a little lime. Test before adding any.
Loamy topsoil (loam, silt loam and similar) covers 92% of mapped Mimosa acres: generally the easiest soil to garden, holding moisture without staying waterlogged. The most common surface texture is silt loam (78% of mapped Mimosa acres).
>99% of mapped Mimosa acres is moderately well to excessively drained, which suits most garden plants.
For lawns and yards
On >99% of mapped acres, rain soaks in slowly (hydrologic groups C and D, including dual groups that are D until drained). Expect runoff and puddles after heavy rain: core-aerate compacted lawns and keep ground sloping away from foundations.
For a septic system
For conventional septic absorption fields, NRCS rates >99% of the acres in mapped Mimosa soils very limited, 0% somewhat limited and 0% not limited.
Where the soil is very limited (slow permeability, a high water table, flooding, shallow bedrock or steep slopes), alternative systems such as mound or sand-filter designs are common and cost more.
Only a licensed site evaluation or perc test at the actual lot decides whether a system is allowed and which design.
Where Mimosa soil is found
Mapped acres
Mimosa is mapped in Tennessee and Alabama.
| County | Acres | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|
| Davidson County, TN | 48,323 | 15.1% |
| Sumner County, TN | 47,642 | 14.1% |
| Lincoln County, TN | 38,994 | 10.7% |
| Smith County, TN | 37,740 | 18.8% |
| Bedford County, TN | 36,276 | 12.0% |
| DeKalb County, TN | 32,909 | 16.9% |
| Giles County, TN | 26,041 | 6.7% |
| Maury County, TN | 21,846 | 5.6% |
| Marshall County, TN | 21,767 | 9.0% |
| Wilson County, TN | 18,311 | 5.0% |
| Williamson County, TN | 17,377 | 4.7% |
| Trousdale County, TN | 16,021 | 22.1% |
| Rutherford County, TN | 14,763 | 3.8% |
| Macon County, TN | 12,891 | 6.6% |
| Jackson County, TN | 11,613 | 5.8% |
| Moore County, TN | 9,085 | 11.0% |
| Putnam County, TN | 8,963 | 3.6% |
| Perry County, TN | 7,416 | 2.8% |
| Coffee County, TN | 6,611 | 2.4% |
| Cannon County, TN | 3,361 | 2.0% |
| Clay County, TN | 1,770 | 1.2% |
| Limestone County, AL | 1,720 | 0.5% |
| Hickman County, TN | 1,433 | 0.4% |
| Franklin County, TN | 428 | 0.1% |
| Overton County, TN | 182 | 0.1% |
| Dickson County, TN | 162 | 0.1% |
| Lewis County, TN | 90 | 0.0% |
| Cheatham County, TN | 51 | 0.0% |
| Stewart County, TN | 37 | 0.0% |
| Robertson County, TN | 20 | 0.0% |
| Lawrence County, TN | 17 | 0.0% |
| White County, TN | 3 | 0.0% |
Septic absorption fields
NRCS rating, share of Mimosa acres
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Not limited | 0.0% |
| Somewhat limited | 0.0% |
| Very limited | 99.9% |
| Not rated | 0.1% |
Drainage, water table and flooding
Share of Mimosa acres
- Depth to seasonal high water table
- None reported within about 6.5 feet (median where reported).
- Flooding
- Not mapped as flooding on most acres.
- Slope
- Typically 8–35% (median 16%).
- Topsoil organic matter
- Median 1.5%.
Drainage class
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| Excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat excessively drained | 0.0% |
| Well drained | 99.9% |
| Moderately well drained | 0.0% |
| Somewhat poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Very poorly drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.1% |
Hydrologic soil group
Show as a table
| Category | Share of acres |
|---|---|
| A: fast infiltration (mostly sandy or gravelly) | 0.0% |
| B: moderate infiltration | 0.0% |
| C: slow infiltration | 99.5% |
| D: very slow infiltration (clayey, shallow or wet) | 0.3% |
| A/D: D as is, A if drained | 0.0% |
| B/D: D as is, B if drained | 0.0% |
| C/D: D as is, C if drained | 0.0% |
| Not rated | 0.1% |
Sources & data dates
- Source
- USDA NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO), queried through Soil Data Access. Public domain.
- Data date
- SSURGO as published on November 3, 2026 (most recent survey area update October 26, 2026). NRCS refreshes SSURGO each October.
- Scope
- All map unit components named Mimosa (component kind "Series") in SSURGO: 443,864 acres.
- Method
- Shares are by mapped acres of Mimosa components. The profile comes from the single largest Mimosa component. Full methodology.