With some crazy flowers that almost remind me of the flower from Horton Hears a Who, this plant is a most peculiar specimen indeed!
In the undisturbed wilds of Asia and the Americas there lives a peculiar plant that would rather not be handled.
Known by many names such as the "shame plant," "sensitive plant," "shy plant" or "touch-me-not", the Mimosa Pudica has a most interesting characteristic. The plant itself looks like just another tiny plant with compound leaves.
It also will flower with wonderful pink, poofy, flowers that look a bit like pink dandelions when they go to seed.
The peculiar characteristic, though, is not noticed until you touch the leaves.
Once the leaves are touched, they begin to close.
Within seconds the leaves fold almost completely shut. Here is a video of me touching the leaves so you can see for yourself how quickly they will fold closed.
MIMOSA PUDICA VIDEO
A LITTLE MORE ON THE MIMOSA PUDICA
Before I share a little more about its bashful nature, it is worth pointing out that the stem of this little plant is covered in thorns. If you walk around barefoot, you just might find some without even seeing it.
Although scientists can now understand how the plant responds to touch, the why is still left to speculation. A few of the theories are that it could be a way for the plant to interfere with insects that would otherwise crawl on it and eat its leaves, or that the quick movement may be a way to scare larger herbivores that may think twice about eating such a reactive plant. Either way, this plant has certainly been given a rare capability that has fascinated millions.
The plants in this post were videoed and photographed near our friend's house in Missouri. Interestingly enough, we actually have some growing on the land that we just purchased too!
Have any of you ever seen this plant before? Have you touched it and seen it respond? The photos and info in this post are original, but I did do a little research by reading more about it at this source.
As always, I'm @papa-pepper and here's the proof:
proof-of-one-shy-plant
Until next time…
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Papa-Pepper....ANOTHER nice post!
^^^JUST UPVOTED^^^
Great shots @papa-pepper! I admire the mimosa plants and their leaves are very unique. Some smell very fragrant, we have friends who have a giant mimosa tree in their front yard. We tried to take a seedling of it and plant it in our yard but it sadly died. Now we have a thriving chestnut tree which we found out was endangered at one time in New England!
The Mimosa tree is beautiful too - I agree! I saw a lot of them in bloom today!
The plant says 'touch me not' @papa-pepper...lol
LOL! Yet I still touch!
Wow fascinating to watch! Do you know if the leaves open up again?
the leaves do open up again after a while.
Don't get too close with your face. You will be picking thorns out from your beard! Good Post!
I have to do that anyway... today it was Blackberry bushes!
Never seen one before. Very interesting though. Thanks for the share. Pretty color on the flower.
Have a look @raybrockman
what the...that plant has a brain?
It is nature. I think plants also study us.
Amazing!
Wow!
It is an interesting plant and a pretty flower too! Thanks!
I've seen and touched this plant before though this is the first time I heard about its scientific name. People in my area have always called it the touch-me not plant and the shy plant. Most likely it makes that movement to protect itself from predators. Plants normally make adaptations to protect themselves such as roses have thorns to protect themselves from herbivores.
I'm with you on the self-defense theory. When the leaves close up, the thorns on the stems would be more prominent.
Yes, I agree with you on that aspect. The leaves closing up though are probably more effective against smaller insects looking to feed on its leaves.
Congratulations @papa-pepper!
Your post was mentioned in my hit parade in the following category:
Well how about that. Cool beans. Good post. Thanks
XD LOL!
@Papa-Pepper an exellent post ....
Wow that's a cool plant! I never seen this before.
I'm glad that you got the chance to see it now!
I hope one day I will get chance to touch it as well)
Yes, I have seen this plant. I have toughed the plant & saw how it shy. Thanks @papa-pepper
You are correct , the flower is very sensitive to touch , I have seen such flower in Nigeria during my visit and it has all the same behavious as you explained above...Good job, thanks for sharing
yes, i have seen this plant @papa-pepper. infact, i had a project in school, almost 10 years back. it is shy, and the leaves close as soon as one touches them, as if it says ''please do not touch me' and hence the name 'touch me not' :) thank you for reminding me my school days
Glad to bring back the memories!
n Indonesia, it is called Putri Malu because its leaves are closed when touched. When stepping on the tree will be exposed to a small but sharp prick.
Thanks @papa-pepper! Beautiful shoots! This "shy plant " is amazing! Thanks for sharing!
it is an amazing plant!
good work keeping up
nice bro
Cool plant, that's a fast reaction time!
It does go pretty quick. I'm not used to plants doing that!
Such a nostalgic plant to me! My father used to go on month long hunting trips in the jungle when I was growing up and we would accompany him (not on the hunting trip itself but to the location) And this plant grew all around! They called it sensitiva or cierrate porque alli viene el diablo which translates to close up for here comes the devil! :)
Woooow
How mothernature works
Thanks for sharing emotional plants behaviour
That's pretty cool. Do you know if its related the Venus Flytrap somewhere down the genetic line? How long after you stop touching the plant do the leaves flatten back out?
Great video. :D Thanks for sharing. :D
Who says plants don't have feelings! There are critters that have this defense mechanism too. Pill bugs, possum,
We also see a lot of these plants in the Philippines where they are called "makahiya" which also translates to "shy"...
Interesting! I learned something today about it now! Thanks!
There are even lots of literary folklores written about these interesting plants. Here, I found an English version for you: 😉
http://wikangpinoy.blogspot.ae/2008/12/alamat-ng-makahiya.html?m=1
nice photos and really interesting plant! it's a new one for me....the leaves are very fern-like but of course its behavior is quite different. Thanks for the post, as always I enjoy your blog.
good work keeping up
Awesome information! Followed! Love your passion!
I too have a shy plant in my house and I love to play with it whenever I feel like.
I feel like they're talking to me, I feel like they know me.
fantastic post keep it up
Cool plants. I used to have a potted one when i was a kid and I have seen them grow wild in Asia.
I had seen one before but I never knew what it was called, thank you! Do you know if it has any medicinal properties?
There are several differing ideas about the medicinal properties of the plant. I've read some contrary claims.
Interesting. Never come across this plant in the UK. But the Royal Horticultural Society here has a good page about it : https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/21000/Mimosa-pudica/Details
There also seems to be quite a few medicinal uses for the plant :
http://www.wildturmeric.net/2015/08/mimosa-pudica-medicinal-uses-health-benefits.html
great pics of the plant bro.
I think its so dope how much you know about nature. I used to go camping a lot as a kid i picked up a few things that i barely remember now lol.
You might need to get back out in the woods for a refresher! It's good to do that!
@papa-pepper i actually been planning on taking the family camping, probably next year. By then i should know enough from watching all your videos haha.
Amazing this a really life ! good post!
Great post & shots!
Thanks for sharing and steem on :)
Great post & great ...shots @papa-pepper..I pay with this shy plant in my childhood.. You make my old memories recall. Thanks for sharing with us..
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It brought back some good memories for me too!
Its nice to see again:))
A long time ago in a mountain village in the wilds of the West Kootenays, British Columbia, my seven year old daughter gave me a 'Sensitivity' plant for Mother's Day. Friends would go near it, talk to it, and/or touch it, and the leaves would close. My roommate and I could never get it to fold it's leaves. We would yell at it and even smack it a few times, no luck. Then one day a rather aggressive man visited. He had no sooner entered the room and the plant completely, every stem of leaves, folded. He said, "Oh, those things. I kill them just by being in the same room with them too long". Maybe sensitive to more than touch?
But that was the imported houseplant variety.
What a peculiar and interesting story!
That's pretty cool. Always good content sir. Thank you!
I am glad that you like it. I try to keep it varied by consistently good!
There were plenty of these where I grew up. We played with these shy plants on our way to and from school. Lots of beautiful memories associated with the touch-me-not plant. Interesting to learn more about it.
Where did you grow up? (if you don't mind me asking)
I have never found any in the wild until I moved here.
India! I'm from Visakhapatnam, a major port city with beautiful beaches, surrounded by mountains. It is the only natural harbor on the East Coast of India.
The touch-me-not plants or Mimosa Pudica (as I know them now, thanks to you) grew everywhere in India. I don't see them much now. In fact, this plant was considered a weed for a long time and is only now being appreciated for its medicinal properties.
I used to grow these when I was younger, they're quite easy to grow as house plants. Great post :)
I have seen them as houseplants, decades ago. Perhaps I should get some seeds and try to grow them!
Yeah for sure @papa-pepper, I grew them from seed and started them off in a propagator, they are tropical plants so they like warm conditions. They usually take about 1 to 4 weeks to germinate. ...another interesting fact about Mimosa pudica is that it is in the pea family, Fabaceae.
Shy plant! What a name. Everytime I spot those plants, I have to touch...have to make them shy for my enjoyment.
I have to touch them too, so "touch me not" is not a good name. I would call it the "touch me plant!"
Wow I never knew you could find these plants in Missouri or Arkansas. I've only seen these "touch-me-not" when I was a precocious young boy on my winter vacations to India :)
Yep, they are pretty wide spread these days! I was happy to have found some in both states.
Very fascinating plant - I wish I could find some here in DC!
Thanks for the information
You are welcome!
The leaf was indeed very strange, at first I was surprised when I touch. The information is very good I like it.
It is very interesting for the plant to do that! Thank you!
nice post.....followed and upvoted
Thank you! Followed back, and I like chess too!
sure!! if you have a spare time to play wit with....
im here to paly..by the way welcome...
Those flowers are beautiful!
They really are a strange and pretty flower! I agree! Thank you!
when i was a child i like this very much haha
found it is amazing
I still think it is amazing and really like playing with it! Thanks!
It is a common plant in my countryside. Its characteristic is in its name, shy flower, touch-me-not. God is great
God it great! Very cool stuff! Thank you!
Amazing plant... this acting reminds me bit of the "Dionaea muscipula" :D
Hmm... I'll have to look that one up! Thanks!
I am sure you know this plant :D
Hey :)
Are you interested in a Riddle?