True mimosa

Seeds: 70  / Botanical name: Mimosa pudica

Don't touch me! I'm delicate and modest!

The shy Mimosa pudica, with its long-stalked, bipinnate leaves, is the best-known of the numerous species in its genus and reaches an average height of 50 centimeters. From July to October, it displays numerous, head-like, pinkish flower heads resembling dandelions. The flowers only last a day, but new ones are constantly being produced. Its botanical name, with its constituent parts, already hints at its essential characteristics: mimic = mobile and the Latin pudica = retracting. In response to any stimuli, including strong drafts and vibrations, the small leaflets in the affected area fold upwards against each other, depending on the intensity of the stimulus, and droop towards the stem. Since this process is also triggered by low light intensity, the entire plant assumes a dormant position at night. All parts of the mimosa are more or less poisonous and should therefore not be consumed.

Natural habitat: Mimosa pudica originally comes from South America, but is now widespread in many tropical and subtropical areas and in Southern Europe.