Overview
Mimosa pudica has been and remains to be one of the most fascinating plants for rare plant enthusiasts. This plant is becoming increasingly more and more mainstream with companies marketing it towards children. Its unique ability to fold its leaves when touched or disturbed has been a topic of many debates. It still remains unknown why this plant has developed this interesting behavior. One of the leading explanations is that it is a defense mechanism that allows the plant to look dead if disturbed. A hungry animal would most likely pass this dead looking plant and look on for something a bit more appetizing.

Apart from its fascinating behavior of folding its leaves, this species also displays beautiful pink powderpuff-like flowers throughout the year. These flowers then develop into little pods that the new seeds eventually grow in.

If you are planning on having this plant around children and pets it is very important for you to be aware of the toxicity of this plant. There have been reports (albeit far and few between) of cattle becoming ill in Hawaii from invasive specimens that were found growing in their pastures. It seems from these reports that it is necessary to ingest the plant in order to experience any problems.  I have worked with this species for years without any ill effects and my personal pets are very uninterested in going near this species. I have not read or heard about any reports of toxicity in humans or domestic pets but care should be taken when bringing this species (or any toxic species) into your home.



Culture
Mimosa pudica seems to tolerate many conditions. From personal experience growing this species, it is best to grow them in full sun to part shade. They are very drought tolerant but will drop their leaves to preserve water if left too long without water. New leaves will emerge shortly after watering resumes. I have also observed this plant dropping leaves if watered too much as well. It is very important to have a potting medium that drains well.

I recommend using 3 parts peat based potting mix, 1 part course sand, 1 part top soil, 1 part cypress mulch. I have had excellent success with this recipe! I will mix in a slow release fertilizer into the mix as well. Best that I have used is Osmocote and Dynamite Brand fertilizers. It is almost impossible to over fertilize plants with these and they can last up to 9 months!

Sensitive plants also respond VERY well to pruning. Basically, wherever you would like the plant to start branching is where you should prune it.

It is important to remember that this is a tropical - subtropical species. It does not fair well in in temperatures below 50 degrees F. One interesting fact is that the stems actually turn a reddish color when the plant is exposed to temperatures below 60 degrees. This reddish coloration does not seem to harm the plant in any way and eventually disappears as the temperature goes back up.

This species will grow up to about 24 inches if you allow it to. I have also seen a groundcover variety that does not seem to grow above 6 inches and has a spreading/sprawling habit.

Many people have asked me what country this plant is native to. This is another question that has been debated back and forth for a long time. There are two schools of thought on this subject. First is that this species originated somewhere in South America and that it is becoming a pan-tropical weed in the Caribbean and throughout the Americas. Second is that it is actually native to South America, Caribbean Islands, and Florida. I tend to lean towards the latter school of thought. If a species can travel to an area naturally (by wildlife, wind, etc.) then it should be considered native. Either way, this species is very hardy and can be a great addition to any plant enthusiasts collection.


Germinating Seeds

Growing Indoors
As mentioned before, Mimosa pudica is a tropical - subtropical species. This means that it likes heat and humidity. Many plant enthusiasts up north without a greenhouse run into a few problems when trying to grow this plant indoors. It is important here to remember what the plant is used to and what it might be lacking in an indoor environment. First thing to consider is the lighting. In this species' natural habitat, it gets fairly direct light from the sun. This is usually lacking in a home environment. A window with a Southern exposure or a room with very bright natural light through the day would be best to remedy this. If this is not available, I would recommend investing in a plant bulb or grow light to grow your mimosa indoors. The next obstacle is the humidity. Here in South Florida it is not uncommon for humidity levels 90% and up for most of the year. In the home environment it is usually much lower. Your best defense is a mister bottle. I would recommend misting your mimosa once a day to once every other day to keep the humidity levels around your plant up. A drip pan with small stones (similar to what is used with indoor bonsai) would work well also.

I hope this guide has helped! If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to use the contact member feature to email me! :)

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