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Don't Shy Away! It's Easy to Grow Sensitive Plant (Mimosa pudica) from Seed
Sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica) is a unique tropical plant that can also be grown as an indoor potted plant. It is easy to start growing from seed and keep it indoors year-round. This shy plant will fold up when touched. We’ll explain how to get started growing sensitive plants from seed, a beautiful and fun plant to grow indoors.
Have you ever met a shy plant? Sensitive plant or Mimosa pudica is also known as shame plant, shy plant, humble plant, or touch-me-not. All of these common names refer to this plant's interesting ability to fold up its leaves when touched, making it a fun house plant for the curious gardener.
This tropical native comes from Central and South America. The plant has spreading branches and can reach up to 3' tall. Sensitive plant can be grown indoors as a perennial potted plant or outdoors as an annual.
How to Grow Sensitive Plant From Seed
You can start sensitive plant seeds indoors and transplant seedlings outdoors after all danger of frost is past.
Foolproof Seed Germination Tips
Soak seeds overnight
Plant 1/8” deep
Keep soil warm (65-75ºF)
Keep seeds moist until germination in 21 to 28 days.
Sensitive Plant Care
The best way to care for your sensitive plant is to consider its natural growing environment. It grows naturally in bright light in roadside areas that don’t have great soil but drain well. When growing sensitive plants in containers, you will need to make sure the pot has good drainage. You may also need to pot up frequently as the plant grows.
Sun
Sensitive plant needs at least 8 hours of sunlight every day. If you are growing it indoors, you may need the supplemental light from a grow light.
Soil
The soil doesn’t have to be particularly nutrient-rich, but it does need to hold moisture and drain well. When growing indoors, make sure your container has good drainage. Potting soil will work well for indoor plants.
Water
Sensitive plant grows best with consistently moist soil that does not allow the roots to become waterlogged. Let the first inch or two dry out between watering.
Fertilizer
Additional fertilizer isn’t usually necessary as this plant is used to growing in average soil. You can add additional fertilizer during the growing season if it appears that the plant needs it.
Temperature and Humidity
Indoor temperatures of 60 to 85ºF are optimal for growing sensitive plants. Its native environment is humid. If growing indoors, you can regularly mist the plants to increase the humidity.
Flowering
Mimosa pudica plants will only flower if they are getting enough sunlight. And older plants will produce more flowers. The mimosa flowers don’t last long—usually only a day.
Pruning
As they grow, the sensitive plants can become leggy. You can prune them to keep them in a bushy shape or cut off the top to encourage more side branching.
Pests & Diseases
The good news is that sensitive plant doesn’t have any diseases to shy away from. However, it has some natural pests that can be dealt with as needed.
Spider mites and mimosa webworms can cover the plant in their webs. Use these options to control a spider mite infestation.
Benefits of Sensitive plant - Mimosa pudica
Besides its interesting shyness, are there other reasons gardeners grow sensitive plants?
One benefit of growing sensitive plants is their ability to improve the soil. As a member of the legume family, it has the same ability to add nitrogen to the soil making it accessible to other plants.
Another reason that mimosa pudica is so widespread is for its medicinal uses. Traditionally, the roots and leaves of sensitive plant have been used in remedies for ulcers, wounds, and snake bites.
(Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459453/ )
FAQs
Why do sensitive plant leaves fold up?
The plant leaves fold up as a response to touch and temperature. This can take just a few seconds. The process is a change in the water pressure. This article from asknature.org gives more in-depth information.
Can you touch sensitive plant too much?
It does take a lot of plant energy to close up. So you may notice that after several interactions, it doesn’t respond as quickly and takes longer to recover.
Is sensitive plant invasive?
The sensitive plant can become invasive in tropical climates, where it grows as a perennial. In areas where the temperature gets cold, the plants will die.
Sensitive plant or mimosa pudica will add a tropical look to your indoor or outdoor garden. With it’s pink spiky flowers and leaves that shy away from your touch, this unique plant wil be a delight. Try growing sensitive plants from seed for a fun, interactive indoor plant.
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