Mimosa Pudica

plants · touch-sensitive · legume family

Leaves fold instantly. When you touch or shake a mimosa pudica plant, its delicate leaves snap shut and fold inward within seconds. They look like they're shrinking away from you, then mysteriously unfold again a few minutes later.

Sleeps at night. These plants have a special superpower called nyctinastic movement, which means their leaves fold up when darkness falls and open back up when light returns. It's like the plant is tucking itself in for bed.

Part of the pea family. Mimosa pudica belongs to the legume family, the same group of plants that includes peas, beans, and clover. It's a creeping plant that can grow as an annual or come back year after year.

Studied by scientists. A French scientist named Jean-Jacques d'Ortous was one of the first people to study this plant's amazing movements and figure out why it was so special. Scientists are still fascinated by how fast these leaves react to touch.

Award-winning plant. This curious little plant is so beloved that in the UK it won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, which is like getting a gold star for being an amazing garden plant.