Scientific Name
Mimosa pudica L.
Common Name(s)
Sensitive Plant, Common Sensitive Plant, Sleepy Plant, Dormilones, Touch-me-not, Shy Plant, Shame Bush, Shame Face, Shame Lady, Shame Plant, Shame Weed, Sensitive Grass
Synonym(s)
Mimosa pudica var. pudica, Mimosa hispidula, Eburnax pudica
Scientific Classification
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Mimosoideae
Tribe: Mimoseae
Genus: Mimosa
Flower
Color: Pale pink or purple
Bloom Time: Midsummer
Description
Mimosa pudica is a creeping annual or perennial herb. The stem is erect in young plants but becomes creeping or trailing with age. It can hang very low and become floppy. The stem is slender, branching, and sparsely to densely prickly, growing up to 5 feet (1.5 m) long. Leaves are bipinnately compound, with one or two pinnae pairs and 10 to 26 leaflets per pinna. The petioles are also prickly.
Pedunculate (stalked) pale pink or purple flower heads arise from the leaf axils in mid-summer, with more and more flowers as the plant ages. The globose to ovoid heads are up to 0.4 inches (1 cm) in diameter (excluding the stamens). On close examination, it is seen that the floret petals are red in their upper part, and the filaments are pink to lavender.
How to Grow and Care
Mimosa can grow in some hardy zones and can survive in temperatures as low as -10 degrees Fahrenheit (-23 degrees Celsius). Although it grows exceptionally well in bright and full sunlight, it can also grow in partially shaded areas. The plant can grow on various soil types like clay, loam, and sandy soil. The soil should ideally be acidic, but mildly alkaline soil would suffice too. The plant is known to survive in droughts and hence requires little watering.
The ideal time for planting a Mimosa is during the spring on well-drained soil. As these flowering plants prefer acidic soil, it is advised that you add peat moss and composted leaves at regular intervals to maintain their acidic properties. Water the plant and soil enough, but not so much as to saturate it. Keep the area under the tree clean by sweeping away the fallen flowers and seed pods. Pruning of the branches should ideally be done during the fall. This tree often tends to get infested by pests like webworm caterpillars. If affected, the branches should be removed as soon as possible to prevent any collateral damage to the plant. If not taken care of, the need to spray insecticides might arise.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Mimosa.
Origin
Mimosa pudica is native to South America and Central America but is now a pantropical weed. It can also be found in Asia in countries such as Bangladesh, Thailand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Japan, and Sri Lanka.
Links
- Back to genus Mimosa
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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