Mimosa Pudica

It’s my late entry for Today's Flowers. My husband and I found this plant on the ground beside the river in his hometown. Mimosa Pudica is general in several landscapes, including damp waste ground, lawns, open plantations, and weedy thickets.

Mimosa is a genus that includes diverse species, all referred to as ‘Mimosa’. There are 400 tropical species of Mimosa that include grasses, bushes, lianas and trees. Mimosa pudica is native to Brazil. The stems are thorny and flowers are small, pink, fluffy balls. Mimosa pudica grows to about five feet high and spreads about three feet (source:paradiseearth.com).

Indonesia people often call it as Putri Malu (The Shy Princess). When touched, the leaves fold up and droop. Then when left alone, the leaves open again. Like a shy princess…