HavHave you ever touched a mimosa plant and wondered why does mimosa respond to touch? There’s a good reason for it!
Mimosa pudica is a plant in the Fabaceae family that responds strongly to touch and other stimuli. When the leaves of the pudica plant are touched, they fold inward and close. They also droop in darkness and reopen in sunlight. It takes your mimosa plants 5 to 30 minutes to return to their original position.
In this article, we will discuss the science behind why mimosa leaves fold when touched. Stay tuned for some interesting information about this fascinating plant!
Why does Mimosa respond to touch?
One of the most notable features of plants is their defense mechanism. Plants defend themselves in surprising ways. Mimosa pudica is known for its rapid plant movement.
The hormones and gene expression elicited when we contact the plant are so powerful that they can significantly impede its growth.
Like many other plants, it goes through nyctinastic movement, which causes leaf orientation changes. Some experts have been fascinated by this plant’s ability to actively respond to touch since the 1500s, defying the commonly held belief that plants use passive diffusion.
Why do Mimosa leaves close at night?
Touch-me-not leaves fold and droop at night, then reopen at dawn. When heated, it also closes. Such stimuli cause biochemical and bioelectrical changes in the plant, allowing it to bend inwards.
Mimosa pudica covers its leaves at night to protect pollen or reduce water loss. This mechanism consumes energy and inhibits the plant’s ability to produce new energy.
Drooping plants may appear dead or dying, making them less tasty than fresher, potentially more nutritious plants. It also helps the plant repel insects that could harm certain plant parts.
Predatory avoidance measures always involve an energy cost, and Mimosa plants take a chance every time they close.
The Mimosa plant takes longer to reopen its leaves when the light is abundant, indicating that it is willing to take more considerable risks to avoid predators.
Maybe the whole thing was intended to preserve water content. If you ate a lot of leaves, the plant would lose water and dry up. The plant may lose water if the leaves remain open at night due to transpiration.
This theory is correct because the tree is adapted to thrive in arid, sandy conditions.
What can I do to avoid the shape changes of Mimosa?
Resisting the urge to touch a mimosa helps avoid shape changes. Each leaf collapses in turn until the entire cluster closes. Touch it hard enough, and it reacts quickly and viciously.
When disturbed, it emits chemicals that cause a drop in cell water pressure. As a result, the leaf folds or a branch collapses. The plant ends up drying up.
When the Mimosa’s leaves are touched, the concentration gradient of potassium and chloride ions within two types of cells in the pulvinus changes. Water flows from the pulvinus’ top extensor cells to the pulvinus’ bottom flexor cells.
Water pours out of extensor cells, causing them to become flaccid, while water flows into flexor cells, causing them to become turgid. So the leaflets fold, and the midrib droops.
Direct sunshine may generate too much heat for a mimosa tree in a container, so keep an eye out for wilting and burned leaves. Place the mimosa tree in a sunny area, such as a sunroom.
If your Mimosa is wilting, water it. It’s that simple. When a plant needs watering, its leaves droop. If they haven’t turned crunchy, the leaves will brighten in a few hours.
Which other plants respond to touch?
The ability of a plant to change shape in response to any touch is referred to as “thigmomorphogenesis.”
Touching your plant may be pleasurable, but it may also be harmful. Many plants respond to natural or intentional stimuli. Other plants that are sensitive to touch include;
Touching the hairs in the Venus flytrap’s maw causes it to suffer. The Venus Flytrap responds to stimuli unusually. More than three hairs must be triggered when the prey touches the leaves.
The trap closes in seconds. Otherwise, It would have taken longer to capture the plant.
Venus Flytrap responds to touch by snapping the traps shut and generating digestive fluids. The oils on your fingertips are believed to harm the light fronds of a Maidenhair Fern, so try to avoid touching them.
This oil keeps them from absorbing moisture and light from their surroundings. Avoid handling your maidenhair’s leaves directly with your hands, and wear gloves if necessary.
Mimosa Pigra is a big Mimosa pudica. Their leaves have more leaflets/pinnae than the pudica. Bristly prickles protect their flowers and seeds.
It’s a mimosa tree that reacts to change similarly to the pudica. They rapidly respond to touch and fold into themselves at night.
Final thoughts
Taking care of this tender perennial plant isn’t a strenuous task. While it outrightly seems like a delicate plant to care for, the Mimosa plant has minimal growing requirements.
Your Mimosa will respond to touch but still looks impeccable when grown for its ornamental value.
