General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Annual
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Soil pH Preferences: Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Plant Height: 8 to 12 inches
Plant Spread: Stems erect in young plants but take on a trailing form with age, growing to lengths to 5 feet.
Leaves: Other: sensitive, touch and they fold up. Stems and leaves are sparsely to densely prickly
Fruit: Other: Clusters of 2 to 8 pods with prickly margins that contain pale brown seeds..
Fruiting Time: Late summer or early fall
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Lavender
Pink
Purple
Other: Pale pink to purple
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Summer
Underground structures: Taproot
Suitable Locations: Houseplant
Uses: Groundcover
Dynamic Accumulator: Nitrogen fixer
Wildlife Attractant: Butterflies
Resistances: Humidity tolerant
Drought tolerant
Propagation: Seeds: Scarify seeds: Chip seed coat, or soak in warm to hot water for approximately 20 minutes before sowing.
Needs specific temperature: 70F - 80F
Days to germinate: Seeds usually germinate in 7 to 21 days.
Depth to plant seed: Surface sow, covering with a thin layer of soil.
Sow in situ
Start indoors
Pollinators: Wind
Various insects
Containers: Suitable in 1 gallon
Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Needs excellent drainage in pots
Miscellaneous: Tolerates poor soil
Conservation status: Least Concern (LC)

Conservation status:
Conservation status: Least Concern
Image
Common names
  • Sensitive Plant
  • Touch-Me-Not
  • Tickle Me Plant
  • Humble Plant
  • Touchy Tina

Photo Gallery
Location: Botanical Garden of the Technical University of Delft
Date: 2017-09-20

Date: 2023-05-18
Location: Botanical Garden of Berlin
Date: 2022-06-08
Location: My Garden
Date: 2018-10-17

Date: 2019-08-31
Location: Virginia
Date: 2021-08-29
Location: Botanical Garden of Berlin
Location: Mysore, India
Date: 2014-10-07
Found this beside a paddy field on my tour to Gonikoppal, 2-hour
Location: Costa Rica | Old Photo
Date: 2022-12-17
Location: Kalama, wa
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Fairfax, VA | June, 2022
Date: 2022-06-05

Date: July
credit: Prenn
Location: Innisfail, North Queensland. Australia.
Date: 2014-05-21
Location: Virginia
Date: 2021-08-29
Location: Lake James, NC
Date: 2020-08-01
What beautiful and unique pink flowers!

Date: 2018-08-14
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Date: 2014-05-21
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Date: 2014-05-21
Location: Rainforest, Paraty, Brazil
Date: 2014-01-07
Location: Botanical Garden of Berlin

Date: 2019-09-21
Photo by sedumzz

Date: 2013-05-09
Location: York, PA 17402
Date: 03/2015
I took a video of the leaves falling after being touched. fascina
Location: National Botanical Garden, DC, Virginia :) | May, 2022
Date: 2022-05-28
Location: Fairfax, VA | June, 2022
Date: 2022-06-05
WOW! VARIEGATED! only one leaf though
Location: central Illinois
Date: 8-29-06
with 4 o'clocks
Location: Huntington Museum of Art, Huntington WV
Date: 2017-09-16
Photo by backyardgardening
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Date: 2014-05-21
w/ bluebonnets

Courtesy Outsidepride
  • Uploaded by vic

Date: 2019-08-31
Location: Odessa, FL
Date: 2010-05-06
Location: Paraty, Brazil
Date: 2010-02-19
Along the road side
Location: Costa Rica | Old Photo
Date: 2022-12-17
Location: Balboa Park Botanical Building
Date: April
credit: Captain-tucker
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2015-04-17
Location: central Illinois
Date: 7-3-06
Location: Montreal, Canada
Date: 2012-06-12
Location: Lake James, NC
Date: 2020-08-01
This was growing from a small crevice in a rock wall along the ba
Location: Mountain City, Tx
Date: 2006
Location: Sunriver Nursery, Orem, Utah
Date: 2011-11-26
Location: Rainforest, Paraty, Brazil
Date: 2014-01-07
Location: central Illinois
Date: 2014-02-03

Courtesy Outsidepride
  • Uploaded by Joy

Courtesy Outsidepride
  • Uploaded by Joy

Courtesy Outsidepride
  • Uploaded by Joy

Courtesy Outsidepride
  • Uploaded by Joy
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Date: 2014-05-21
Location: Balboa Park Botanical Gardens, San Diego, California                 
Date: 2013-08-16

Date: 2013-05-09

Date: 2013-05-09
Location: Illinois, US
Date: 2003-09-04
Location: Odessa, FL
Date: 2009-10-28
Comments:
  • Posted by Gleni (Macleay Is, Qld, Australia - Zone 12a) on May 30, 2014 1:19 AM concerning plant:
    Highly invasive in Australia; a declared pest in Western Australia. It is a good example of thigmonasty or seismonasty.

    https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/de......
  • Posted by jmorth (central Illinois) on Nov 22, 2011 11:28 AM concerning plant:
    When touched, leaflets fold up in a most spectacular fashion, leaf stalks drop as if they were hinged.
    Huge success w/ kids.
    Bloom looks like a puff-ball about an inch across.
    Sometimes self-sows here in Z5b; seed is easily collected at maturity (brown seed pods).
  • Posted by tabbycat (Youngsville, LA - Zone 9b) on Jul 19, 2018 8:41 AM concerning plant:
    I planted a rooted piece of this 5 years ago in a part-sun flowerbed that gets moisture from the drip line of the roof and saturation when it rains. It has thrived and sent runners to now cover the 8' bed, to the point that I now have to trim it to keep it in bounds.. It is in bloom now, July 2018. I'm in zone 9 and it goes dormant in winter. It took the unusual 21-degree lowest temp of 2017/2018. It stays low and neat, and the pink wand flowers are a sight to see when in full bloom. Children and adults love this curiosity plant.
  • Posted by Plantastic (Beverly Hilss, Ca) on Nov 4, 2022 6:51 PM concerning plant:
    You can go to sensitiveplant.com to easily grow your own indoors year round. Or find the grow kits at ticklemeplant.com Great for kids of all ages.
Plant Events from our members
jmorth On April 16, 2015 Plant emerged
jmorth On March 31, 2015 Seeds sown
Sown, in small container in a plastic bag.
jmorth From March 31, 2015 to April 16, 2015 Seeds germinated
17 days
Bschmuck On March 10, 2022 Bloomed
First bloom! Grown indoors under lights.
» Post your own event for this plant

Discussion Threads about this plant
Thread Title Last Reply Replies
Just a comment on seed photos by growitall May 31, 2014 7:54 AM 11

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