The Plant That Reacts Faster Than You Can Think

Hey Guys, what’s up? You’ve probably seen this plant before. Might have even interacted with it, but did not know its name. It goes by many names, it is also an award winning plant according to Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

I am talking about the “Mimosa Pudica ” plant, also referred to as touch-me-not, shame plant, live and die, humble plant, and more, is a native of tropical America, but it can now be found in many other parts of the world, like India where it is protected by thorns . The species name “pudica” comes from the Latin word meaning “shy” or “shrinking”. More like a shy person who hides their face when they’re embarrassed.

There are a lot of plants with amazing features, but the mimosa plant takes the crown when it comes to uniqueness and curiosity. Mimosa plant also known as sensitive plant because it responds to stimuli “nastic movement” like touch and heat. Just brushing against it can cause its leaves to fold up . The same reaction is exhibited in light and dark cycles . The Mimosa pudica's rapid leaf folding is caused by changes in water pressure in specialized cells called pulvini.. The pulvinus is the main structure mechanistically responsible for the drooping of leaves.

Amongst other things, the mimosa plant is able to fix nitrogen from the air. This means that it can get the nitrogen it needs to grow and survive without needing to get it from the soil.
The Mimosa pudica has been used in traditional medicine to treat ailments including, wound healing, aphrodisiac, antivenom, antifertility, and many more beneficial properties.
If you ever see a Mimosa pudica plant, give it a gentle touch and watch its leaves fold up in surprise. It’s a fun way to learn about plant behavior!