The Shame Plant – If You Think It’s a Weird Name, You Have Got to Know That It Is Also Called ‘Sensitive Plant’, ‘Sleepy Plant’ or ‘Touch-Me-Not Plant’...
When you look at the times they tell you a lot about the plant, as it is actually very delicate and really sensitive
A shy plant
The species is a pantropical weed growing up to 50 cm. It is highly sensitive to stimulus (this phenomenon is referred to as 'thigmotropism'). When its leaves are touched, the plant quickly folds them. The reaction time could be as short as 0.8 second. And perhaps this is why it is called 'touch-me-not plant'.
A fussy creature
The species is native to South America and the Caribbean. It is really difficult to look after and it never forgives any mistakes. It looks very fragile (feathery leaves, slim stalks, spherical pink-violet flowers). You can grow it inside, but it needs some specific conditions.
The shame plant prefers:
• warmth,
• bright locations,
• sun,
• moist medium,
• air with no cigarette smoke and
• high air humidity.
Bathroom is the place
The plant is not cold-resistant and it prefers rather high temperatures (18 – 22 C). However, as for direct sun exposure, that is recommended only in the morning hours. It does not need particularly fertile soils as it is capable of absorbing nitrogen from the air and turning it into nutrients.
A bathroom with a window therefore sounds like a perfect choice. Still, the plant has to be watered with care (only when the top layer of the soil is dry through a few centimeters. You need to know that indoors the plants survives up to a year. In the winter it loses its leaves and dies because it does not get enough sun and the temperatures are too low.
Period relief
Interestingly, apart from its toxic properties, the shame plant has got some positives, too. While eating a lot of it is toxic, minor amounts relieves painful and abnormally bloody periods and has got some diuretic as well as anti-depressant properties, too.
