Sensitive Plant Care and Complete Growing Guide

When you care for a Sensitive plant or Mimosa pudica, you will find they are quite shy as it closes its leaves when touched.

Such sensitivity is the exact reason why it’s called a Sensitive plant. I remember when I was young how I’d get fascinated each time I poked my fingers on those leaves.

My playmates and I would hunt for this tropical plant to have fun tickling the foliage.

Scientific Name: Mimosa pudica

Common Name: Sensitive plant, sleepy plant, action plant, action plant; dead-and-awake; humble plant; live-and-die; mimosa; shame bush; shame plant; touch-me-not

Plant Type: Creeping herbaceous shrub, perennial

Native to: Central and South America

Shape: Fern-like leaves with pom-poms-shaped flowers

Maximum Size: 30 cm (1 foot)

Watering Requirements: Medium to high

Light Requirements: Full, partial shade

Preferred Humidity: High

Preferred Temperature: 60-85oF (16-30oC)

Soil or Potting Medium: Well-draining, loamy with acidic to neutral (5.0-7.5) pH

Fertilizer: Diluted high-potassium liquid fertilizer every two weeks

Propagation Method: Seeds, stem tip cuttings

Toxicity: Toxic to people, toxic to pets

Vulnerable to: Underwatering

What is a Sensitive Plant?

Plants are so diverse that they always surprise us with beautiful features. The Mimosa pudica, commonly known as the Sensitive plant, is among those naturally astonishing species. A native of South and Central America, it’s a creeping herbaceous herb with fern-like leaves.

sensitive plant

Aside from being sensitive to physical stimuli, this plant also responds to the onset of darkness. It closes its leaves at night and reopens them when daylight sets in like Calathea plants. This occurrence is also known as nyctinasty.

The Mimosa pudica plant is a short-lived creeping perennial with delicate pompom purple flowers. The reason for the sensitive leaves is the tiny hairs found on them responding to temperatures, motion, and temperature folding inwards.

Sounds cool? Now, let’s dive deeper and learn new things about this Mimosa plant.

Mimosa Pudica Plants Care

We know it’s fascinating to hear about Mimosa pudica for the first time. And by now, you’re probably interested in owning one. This is good news for you because these indoor plants are relatively easy to care for and maintain.

sensitive plant

Another great thing is it is a reputable grower that adapts well to most indoor environments and will fit in right at home with your other indoor houseplants. One thing is sure: this plant with its thorny stems will keep shouting, ” Touch me not!

Here are some essential care tips before we explore them in more detail:

  • To grow a Sensitive plant, it needs bright light indoors and outside.

  • Sensitive plant growing needs well-drained soil to provide them with proper root growth.

  • Keep soil moist but not soggy, and reduce watering when winter arrives.

  • Sensitive plants grow indoors and outside in temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit for best results.

  • The shy plant Mimosa pudica prefers high humidity, and you need to be cautious when sowing Sensitive plant seeds outdoors in a sub- to tropical climate.

WARNING

When planting Mimosa pudica seeds, it is best done as a potted plant as this tropical plant is an invasive weed in tropical climates. It can spread fast and also naturalizes readily through seeds. The seed pods have burrs that cling and can travel for long distances.

Read ahead and take note of the basic things you must remember when it comes to Sensitive plants. Let’s start.

Potting Mix

Different plants have varying tastes for a potting medium. For Mimosa pudica, a mixture of perlite, peat moss, and loamy soil (1:2:2) is already sufficient. You don’t have to worry when this mix gets a little acidic. Your plant can tolerate even a low pH of 5.0.

Additionally, it prefers to have moist soil. That’s why ensuring good drainage is important so it won’t get soggy. We don’t want our soil to hold excess moisture that could lead to root rot. The right potting mix helps balance the soil’s water-holding capacity and drainage.

Thus, the plant thrives in loamy soil, which is a nutrient-poor soil.

Watering 

Like most tropical plants, the Sensitive plant loves to be well-watered. Depending on the season, its water requirement can range from medium to high. You have to water this one regularly, especially once you notice that the soil is starting to dry.

Sensitive plant isn’t drought tolerant, and you need to keep the soil consistently moist. With inconsistent watering, it could quickly dry out and lose vigor. We don’t recommend having this houseplant if you’re always away from home. That is if you don’t want to come home to a wilting Mimosa.

Still, even if you are away, there are some methods to ensure your Sensitive plant remains alive. Read our detailed guide on vacation plant watering.

Sensitive Plant Light Requirement

sensitive plant lighting

Earlier, we’ve mentioned that a Sensitive plant closes its leaves once it senses the environment getting darker. In short, it isn’t suitable in areas with low light conditions. It should receive direct sunlight for at least eight hours daily, with morning sunlight to prevent rapid plant movement.

Like an east-facing window, a sunny window is best if your Sensitive plant is grown indoors. If you have a balcony that receives bright light, take your Sensitive plant out there for sunbathing. Your houseplant would surely enjoy that. It helps them make enough food for themselves.

Locations with part shade will also do. But if the Sensitive plant leaves start to partially close, you’d have to find a much brighter area. The Sensitive plant grows best in light to produce blooms and sustain healthy growth.

Temperature

Places like Central America and Tropical South America are warm. Being a native of these areas, Mimosa pudica also prefers such a condition. Maintaining the temperature to 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit (16-30 degrees Celcius) is critical.

Remember to keep your house plant warm. It isn’t tolerable to chilly and frosty conditions. Make sure to watch out for a sudden drop in temperatures, especially during the night. If placed outdoors, we recommend bringing it in when it’s below 60 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celcius).

Generally, USDA hardiness zones 9 to 11 are suitable for growing Sensitive plants.

Humid Environment

sensitive plant humidity levels

The humble plant is a sucker for high humidity. So, if you’re living in an arid location where humidity is almost always low, you can give this plant a pass.

However, if you’re place has medium humidity, that’s tolerable. There are a few tricks you can pull off to make it work.

The first tip is to group your Mimosa pudica with other tropical plants. Since they all love high humidity, they can benefit from the extra moisture they’d receive from each other.

When you group Mimosa pudica houseplants with other humid-loving plants, mist around them together would also be easier.

Fertilizer

When you plant Mimosa pudica outdoors or grow a Sensitive plant as a house plant, they grow in soil with few nutrients. It won’t hurt if you choose not to fertilize regularly. This houseplant would still thrive.

I recommend that you add fertilizer only when it’s deemed necessary. Timing the application during the growing season.

You can apply high-potassium fertilizer that’s diluted to half its original strength. Do this every few weeks, depending on the needs of your Sensitive plant and if you want them to produce flowers.

Sensitive Plant Propagation

During mid to late summer, Mimosa pudica produces flowers resembling pompoms. They’re pink to light purple. Once you notice them, you can collect seeds from the spent flowers. Alternatively, you can also use stem cuttings.

Sensitive Plant Mimosa pudica seeds:sensitive plant seeds

Firstly, you can order your Sensitive plant seeds online or collect them from dried seed pods.

  1. Prepare the seeds in spring by scarifying them to scratch the exterior using a sharp knife, or you can soak them in water overnight.

  2. Prepare a seed tray with moistened potting mixture but not soggy soil.

  3. Place two or three seeds in a tray cell and cover them with soil.

  4. To hasten the germination process, you can place the trays in a warm, bright light spot, and when the soil begins to dry, water them.

  5. When the seedling’s roots start to fill up the pot, transplant them to a medium-sized pot with enough drainage holes.

Sensitive Plants Propagation Using Cuttings:

  1. Cut up to six inches of a stem tip with one exposed leaf node.

  2. Plant Mimosa pudica plants cuttings in a small pot with equal parts peat moss and perlite.

  3. Please place it in a warm spot and cover it with a clear plastic bag to create a humid environment.

  4. You should notice your Sensitive plant cutting developing new roots in about four weeks, and you can transplant them to a larger container or the garden.

ensitive Plant Repotting

It’s incredible how fast the Sensitive plant can grow. They spread a lot faster when planted in the ground. And even in pots, they’d quickly grow to almost a foot in size, forming a bushy appearance.

There’s a need to repot this houseplant regularly. Once you see roots coming out of the pot’s drainage holes, repot your Sensitive plant immediately. Use the recommended potting mixture that we discussed earlier.

I do not recommend leaving this plant pot-bound. It won’t be easy to repot your Sensitive plant when its growth is already massive.

Pruning

Because of its creeping nature, you must consistently prune your Sensitive plant, Mimosa pudica. You can trim off excess growth to keep it to a desirable size. Pruning also encourages lateral growth, preventing the plant from getting leggy.

Just be very careful when pruning. The stems of this houseplant are protected with thorns. Always use your garden gloves to avoid getting pricked. And, of course, don’t forget to sterilize your pruning shears before and after use.

pruning shears

This is also the best time to save some mature and healthy cuttings from the Mimosa pudica. You could use those for propagation. Furthermore, you can remove the Sensitive plant leaves that are damaged or dead at any time.

Similar Mimosa Species

There are various types of sensitive plants out there. Under this genus, three popular species are similar to our Mimosa pudica. Here, we’ll introduce and describe each one.

Mimosa pigra

mimosa pigra

Another member of the Sensitive Plants Club is the Mimosa pigra. It’s also known as the Giant Sensitive plant. It’s a prickly, small shrub that can grow up to 2 meters tall. This plant, however, is considered an agricultural weed. Mimosa pigra has invasive tendencies and is considered a threat to local biodiversity.

Mimosa diplotricha var. diplotricha

mimosa diplotricha plant

Another species is the Mimosa diplotricha, a creeping sensitive plant. It’s a small shrub with numerous branched leaves. It can quickly spread when planted in the ground. Like Mimosa pudica, it also produces small pods. However, it produces more seeds per pod.

Although these species differ in size and appearance, they all produce the same pom-pom-like flowers. These pink blooms are produced in clusters. Plus, these outdoor plants are all thorny and sensitive to touch.

Sensitive Plant Diseases & Pests

The good thing about the Sensitive plant is that it has a mechanism to protect itself. The stems are hairy and thorny, making them less vulnerable to pests. Occasionally, spider mites and mealybugs can attack the leaves. Nothing much to worry about, though, as this plant can definitely survive.

spider mites

Diseases aren’t much of a concern either. However, underwatering is quite a common dilemma. Since Mumosa pudica thrives best in moist soil, there’s a need to regularly water. If not, it could easily wilt especially with scorching heat during summer.

Frequently Asked Questions

The plant Mimosa pudica is considered perennial, but when grown indoors, it will deteriorate after it blooms. The best is to grow Sensitive plant annually and save the dried seed. During winter, watering should be slightly reduced for indoor and outdoor plants.c

Most of the time, people grow the plant for the foliage, not the flowers. The blooms will appear during summer from May through to September.

The plant has fuzzy pink to purple flowers that look like pompoms and do not smell. Researchers discovered it can give off a foul odor and is used as a defense mechanism when the roots are ripped from the ground or disturbed.

When the plant does not receive enough light, it will not bloom. Moving your plant to a brighter spot in early spring and summer is best. The lack of having the right temperature can also be why your plant is not flowering.

Brown or yellowing leaves can result for different reasons. When the leaf tips are yellow or brown, it results from dry air, which helps to mist the leaves or place them in a humid setting to receive more moisture. When you notice yellow lower leaves, it can be from overwatering, but it can also result from a lack of light, temperature drops, or a nutrient deficiency.

The plant has hinge-like mechanisms that contain motor cells working in opposite actions when touched. Hence, the leaves respond to stimuli as they release a chemical, causing water to flow out of those cells on the one side and into other matching cells found on the opposites. Hence, the flow creates pressure that causes the cells to collapse and expand, resulting in them closing.

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