Description
Mimosa pudica, otherwise known as the sensitive or shy plant, is a shrub with fern-like leaves. This plant’s most popular reason is that the leaflets can fold up when touched. This touch-sensitive trait makes it an exciting houseplant to grow and show off to friends, but the mimosa pudica can also be used as a hedge or ground cover in your yard.
The mimosa pudica will spread in your yard or garden as it grows. It can get about 2 feet tall and spread about 2 feet wide if not pruned or planted in a container. If you extend your mimosa pudica in a pot, you can better control its size by pruning off branches that are too long and by limiting how many fertilizer pellets you give it throughout the year.
How Big Does Mimosa Pudica Get?
Mimosa pudica, also known as the sensitive plant, is a plant with leaves that fold when touched. The leaves of this plant can also fold at night and during extreme heat or cold. This plant can be grown indoors or outdoors and live for many years.
The mimosa pudica plant was tiny when first planted. After it has been established in the soil, the size of the mimosa pudica will depend on whether it is grown inside or outside.
When grown inside, mimosa pudica should be placed in a window that gets plenty of sunlight. Mimosa pudica needs to have plenty of suns to survive indoors and will not do well if placed in an area that does not get enough light from a window. When grown inside and placed in a room with plenty of sunlight, mimosas are typically between 10 inches and 3 feet tall. If a mimosa is not getting enough sunlight while growing indoors, it could grow to be smaller than 10 inches tall.
When grown outdoors in warm climates, Mimosa pudica plants can grow up to 6 feet tall.
Habitat and Range
The sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica) is a tropical flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, native to Central and South America. Its habitat includes open and disturbed areas, such as fields and pastures. It has been introduced to many other regions, including Asia, Australia, New Zealand, North America, India, and Africa. The plant grows in many habitats, including weed floras of cultivated ground, orchards, and vineyards. It also can be found growing along roadsides and railways.
Environment and Care
Typically, the plant is kept as an indoor houseplant, but it can be grown outside year-round in mild climates. The plants are easy to grow and care for, but few things to consider when developing them.
An essential requirement of Mimosa pudica is that it receives plenty of sunlight. It is a tropical plant that needs full sun to partial shade to thrive. It should be kept in a well-lit area, preferably receiving at least four hours of direct sunlight each day. It can grow outdoors year-round in USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11, where temperatures rarely drop below freezing. In more excellent areas, the plant can be grown outside during the summer months and brought indoors for the winter.
Mimosa pudica will not survive below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius). If left outside during cooler weather, the cold will kill it.
The plants are sensitive and will wilt easily if they are overwatered or allowed to dry out completely between waterings. Keep the soil moist but not soggy by watering whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
How Long Does it Take to Grow?
Mimosa Pudica is a perennial plant that grows slowly. The growth rate of this plant depends on the variety of the plant. Some plants grow fast, and others grow slowly. There are many varieties of mimosas. They are categorized into three types: 1) Small-leaved mimosa; 2) Large-leafed mimosa; 3) Medium-leaved mimosa. The growth rate of each type varies from one variety to another.
Some varieties grow faster than others. For example, small-leaved mimosas tend to grow faster than large-leafed ones. However, some exceptions exist where some large-leafed types can grow faster than small-leaved ones.
One thing is sure: no matter which variety you choose, it will take time before your mimosa pudica grows into its full size. So if you want to see the results right away, don’t expect them immediately! If you’re going to get results as soon as possible, you should purchase a container with soil or potting mix and start planting your seeds there today!
Foliage
Mimosa pudica, also known as the Sensitive Plant and the Humble Plant, is a creeping plant native to South America and Southeast Asia. Its leaves fold up when the plant is touched or shaken, hence its title of the Sensitive Plant. It has feathery, green fern-like leaves with about 30 pairs of pinnae on each leaf; each pinna has 10–26 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are 1–2 cm in length and silky-textured. They are sensitive to touch, wind, and heat. The flowers are small and pinkish-white in color. The fruits are spherical heads of numerous tiny seeds. The plant grows 40–60 cm tall in its native habitat but only half that size if grown indoors or outside in a pot. Both the stems and leaves contain “bristles” with tiny hooked tips on them; these function like Velcro to help the plant spread by attaching themselves to animal fur or clothing.
Flowers and Fruit
The flowers are small and white, with five petals. They are borne in umbels of up to 40, and the flowers can mature into the fruit without pollination. The fruit is a small capsule composed of five carpels containing numerous seeds.
Mimosa pudica grows mainly in tropical and subtropical regions but has been found as far north as southern Ontario in Canada.
Problems
You’ll want to avoid overwatering, as Mimosa pudica is also susceptible to root rot. If your plant’s leaves turn yellow and fall off, it’s likely getting too much water. It can also get leaf spot disease if you keep it in an area that’s frequently wet—look for small black or brown spots with a yellowish border on the leaves. Your plant could also be affected by powdery mildew (a white, fine coating on the leaves), spider mites (tiny insects that suck the sap out of leaves), or scale (white or brown bumps on the stems).
Mimosa pudica is a fascinating plant. Apart from the unique way that it closes, it also has a few other neat characteristics involved in its care (like its fleshy root) that make it an exciting addition to any houseplant collection. The next time you consider adding a new focal point to your home decor, consider mimosa pudica. Whether you keep it in the house’s main room or even just by the entrance, this plant is sure to gain attention when it opens and closes throughout the day!
The plant is so interesting to grow simply because there’s a lot of room for experimentation. Using different growing methods and/or substrates, you can grow mimosa in various sizes.