Germination temperature
Warm: RHS advises 18-24 °C (64-75 °F); treated seed also germinates well in hotter tropical conditions.
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Mimosa pudica, the sensitive plant or touch-me-not, folds its leaves when touched and is easy to raise from seed once its hard coat is opened. Nick or hot-water treat the seed, sow it shallowly in warmth and keep it above 13 °C (55 °F).
Warm: RHS advises 18-24 °C (64-75 °F); treated seed also germinates well in hotter tropical conditions.
0.5-1 cm (1/4-3/8 in); emergence is best from the top 2 cm.
Treated seed germinates within two weeks.
Not needed for treated seed; grow seedlings in bright light.
Essential: nick the coat or dip in hot water.
Sow in pots or cells and pot on; direct sow only in warm climates.
Mimosa pudica seed is physically dormant: its coat keeps water out. In a 2022 PeerJ study untreated seed did not germinate at all at 25/15 °C in two weeks, so always treat it.
The most reliable method. Nick the coat with a nail clipper or rub one edge on fine sandpaper, away from the scar where the seed was attached. Nicked seed germinated above 89% at every temperature tested.
Not needed. This is a tropical plant with no cold requirement.
A plain overnight soak (as RHS suggests) only helps seeds that swell. For a hot-water treatment, dip seed in water at about 80 °C (176 °F) for 10 minutes (86% germination in the study); water at 95 °C or longer dips gave poorer results. Sow any seed that has swelled; nick the rest.
RHS recommends 18-24 °C (64-75 °F) for spring sowing indoors. In the tropics sow at any warm time of year; a weed-science study germinated treated seed at 35/25 °C (95/77 °F) day/night.
Cover with 0.5-1 cm (1/4-3/8 in) of mix. In field trials 73-88% of seedlings emerged from 0-2 cm, fewer from deeper, and none from 8 cm (3 in).
A free-draining, loam-based seed or potting mix (peat-free, as RHS advises).
Keep evenly moist but not soggy; cover the pot with clear film or a lid until seedlings appear.
Light does not affect germination of scarified seed. Move seedlings into bright light, shaded from fierce midday sun.
Treated seed germinated within the 14-day test periods used in both studies.
Move seedlings into individual pots once they have their first true, feathery leaves, and later into a pot of at least 20 cm (8 in). In frost-prone climates plant outside only when nights stay above 10-15 °C (50-59 °F); RHS rates it H1B, a summer-only outdoor plant.
Young plants grow quickly in warmth. Give a balanced liquid feed about once a month in the growing season and keep them in full light with shade from hot sun.
Cause: the hard seed coat was not opened. Fix: nick the seed or give it the 80 °C hot-water dip, then resow.
Cause: seed buried too deep; emergence falls with depth and stops at 8 cm (3 in). Fix: cover with no more than 1 cm (3/8 in) of mix.
Cause: cold. Fix: keep it above 13 °C (55 °F) in winter and away from cold draughts.
Cause: glasshouse red spider mite, worst in hot, dry indoor air. Fix: mist foliage, wash plants and isolate affected pots.
Cause: self-sown seed that stays dormant in soil. Fix: in tropical gardens grow it in pots and remove seed pods; it is an invasive weed in many regions.
The leaves fold within seconds of a touch and reopen after a while; touch gently and not constantly, and keep the plant where it is easy to watch.
RHS advises moderate watering in growth and reduced watering in winter, when growth slows.
Softwood cuttings in early summer root with bottom heat, a quick way to keep a favourite plant.
In India and other warm regions the plant already grows wild; keep garden plants in pots so it does not seed into lawns and fields.
Nick the seeds, sow them warm and enjoy a pot plant whose leaves fold at a touch.
The hard coat keeps water out. Nick each seed or dip it in water at about 80 °C (176 °F) for 10 minutes, then sow; untreated seed often never sprouts.
Yes, it is a popular pot plant. Give it bright light, moderate watering, a monthly feed in summer and at least 13 °C (55 °F) in winter.
It is an invasive weed in many tropical regions, including parts of Asia. Grow it in pots and remove seed pods where it could escape.