Plants
Sensitive Plant
Mimosa pudica · Fabaceae
Hardly any houseplant delivers as many wow moments as the sensitive plant: touch its feathery leaves and they fold up within seconds — hence the nickname “touch-me-not”. Don't confuse it: the yellow “mimosa” branches in floristry come from the silver wattle (Acacia dealbata), an entirely different plant. This entry is about the living, touch-sensitive Mimosa pudica for your windowsill.
- Light
- Bright with gentle sun; avoid harsh midday sun behind glass.
- Watering
- Regularly in small doses — the soil should stay slightly moist.
- Care level
- Medium
- Botanical
- Mimosa pudica
The folding is a genuine movement mechanism: at the leaf joints sit cell cushions that lose water in a flash when touched — the leaf collapses and rights itself again after 15 to 30 minutes. In the wild this deters grazers; on the windowsill it is the best biology lesson for kids.
As fascinating as the effect is, every fold costs the plant energy. Constantly poking your sensitive plant weakens it over time — demonstrating it once or twice a day is fine, continuous stroking is not. At night, by the way, it folds its leaves all by itself.
In summer the sensitive plant produces fluffy pink flower heads that look like tiny pompoms. As a tropical plant it likes it warm, bright and slightly moist all year; below 18 degrees and in dry heated air it quickly sulks. Many people therefore treat it as an annual and simply re-sow it in spring — it germinates readily.
And once more on the distinction, because we explain it every season in our Düsseldorf shop: the fragrant yellow mimosa bunches of late winter are acacia branches from southern France and Italy. Botanically, only our little green folding artist is a true Mimosa — the cut flower carries the name merely as a trade label.
Is Sensitive Plant toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Mildly irritating
- Cats
- Mildly irritating
- Dogs
- Mildly irritating
Mimosa pudica contains the compound mimosine and is considered mildly toxic to cats, dogs and small children — especially with repeated nibbling. Keep it out of reach; unfortunately the moving leaves make it particularly interesting to cats.
Typical symptoms: After eating larger amounts: gastrointestinal upset such as drooling, vomiting and diarrhoea; chronic grazing can cause coat problems.
In an emergency:call the German poison control centre in Bonn on +49 228 19240 (24/7) — for pets, contact an emergency vet directly. This information does not replace medical or veterinary advice.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01Keep it bright and warm with some morning or evening sun; above 18 degrees all year.
- 02Keep it evenly, slightly moist — neither bone-dry nor waterlogged.
- 03Provide high humidity; dry heated air makes the feathery leaflets wither.
- 04Trigger the leaves only rarely — frequent folding drains the plant.
- 05If needed, simply re-sow in spring; germination succeeds on a warm windowsill.
Frequently asked
- Is this the same mimosa as in a bouquet?
- No. The yellow, fragrant “mimosa” of the cut-flower trade consists of silver wattle branches (Acacia dealbata). Mimosa pudica is a separate tropical species — small, green and famous for its folding leaves.
- Does touching harm the sensitive plant?
- Occasionally, no — that is what the mechanism is for. But every fold consumes energy and interrupts photosynthesis. If the plant is triggered constantly, it grows weaker. So: demonstrations yes, permanent toy no.
- Why do the leaves fold up on their own in the evening?
- That is the so-called sleep movement: the sensitive plant follows an internal day-night rhythm and folds its leaflets at dusk. In the morning they open again — a sign the plant is doing well.
- Is the sensitive plant toxic to cats?
- Mildly: it contains mimosine, which can cause gastrointestinal upset with regular nibbling. Since the twitching leaves practically invite cats to play, place it out of reach in pet households.