A Plant With a Mind of its Own!
As promised in my previous post with photos from my trip to Sherman Gardens, I have uploaded a short video of THE MOST AMAZING PLANT EVER. I know that sounds like hyperbole, but honestly, I didn't know plants like this existed. And so without further ado, I present...
The Sensitive Plant
If you're anything like me, you're probably wondering what a Sensitive Plant is. I'm not a garden expert, but my wife worked at a garden for six years and she had never encountered one before either.
According to the internet (let's be honest, Wikipedia), the proper name is Mimosa pudica which means "shy" or "bashful" in Latin. I don't know that I would ever use those words to describe a plant, but after coming in contact with Mp I totally get it.
The Video
Check out what happens when my wife touches the plant:
The plant responds to touch. THE PLANT RESPONDS TO TOUCH!
Apparently, it developed the ability to fold its leaves inwards as a defense mechanism to protect itself from harm. The reaction time is so quick, it completely caught me off guard. It reminded me of how a roly poly (pill bug) will roll itself into a ball when you touch it.
I never expected to see something like that outside of the animal kingdom, but this is not the only plant that has the ability for rapid plant movement. Check out this list on Wikipedia to dive in deeper.
Hope you enjoyed! If so, please upvote and follow and check out my previous post about the trip!