The sensitive plant, whose scientific name is mimosa pudica, is also called shy mimosa. It is grown in the garden, but many people also grow it as a houseplant because of its interesting behavior. When you touch the leaves of the sensitive plant, it releases water from the leaves and stems. As the water drains to the base of the plant, the leaves close and shrivel.
It is likely that the heavy rains and strong winds in its homeland, which can easily damage the thin tender leaves, are the reason it developed its extraordinary ability. As a confirmation of this theory, the leaves always shrivel before rain and especially before a storm, making the mimosa a kind of barometer.
Mimosa also shuts down at night to conserve energy.
The shy mimosa reaches a height of up to 1 meter, but grown in a pot it does not grow taller than 40-50 cm. The flowers of the mimosa are extremely interesting, consisting of many fine hair-like growths that end in small whitish balls at the tip. The flower is 8-10 mm in diameter and is colored pink, reddish or purple. It blooms in the months from June to September.
How to grow this shy plant at home
Soak the seeds in hot water for 24 hours before sowing.
They are sown in moist soil, covered with a half-centimeter layer of soil, covered with transparent film and left in a warm place. It is good for the soil to be loose and sandy. Mimosa seeds are sown in targeted medium pots. After the seeds have germinated, place the pot on a sunny window.
Although mimosa looks very delicate, growing it is not difficult - it likes heat, strong light, even direct sun, abundant watering but without water retention and spraying. It does not tolerate cigarette smoke - its leaves fall from it.
In order for it to grow compact, it is regularly pinched. The flowers are usually on the young twigs, so the more the better. Even if you are very interested in its ability to shrink its leaves, do not overdo it by touching it too often - after a while the plant gets tired and starts to react more and more slowly.
At the end of June, the mimosa is covered with the delicate pink petals of the flowers. Under favorable conditions, it will bloom until mid-autumn.
Mimosa does not withstand cold. In home conditions, it winters hard, its leaves fall, it loses its beauty, and at a temperature lower than 16 degrees, it dies.
The optimal temperature should be in the range of 18-22 degrees Celsius. The plant grows best on an east or south facing windowsill.
Watering
Decorative mimosa sometimes uses a rather whimsical approach to care procedures. One of the most important is watering. Plant care focuses primarily on regular watering. The soil cannot be too dry or too wet. In the first case, the leaves begin to dry immediately, in the second, the roots rot. That is why the mimosa is watered often, but with small portions of water, so that the substrate is still slightly moist.
Mimosa cultivation should also focus on sprinkling the leaves. This should be done regularly and even daily during the summer. Moistening in hot weather prevents drying of the leaves and the whole plant.
In winter, you should stop fertilizing. During this time, the mimosa goes into a period of rest, which is not too long. During this time, you should move it from the window, and you should also limit watering. Although mimosa is a perennial, like the poinsettia, it is often grown as an annual.
Our planting instruction is a recommendation purposes only. Please choose your own method of rooting that will work for you or research the internet for more info and tips