How to Grow
Touch Me Not Plant (Shameplant) - Facts, Benefits, Care & How To Grow
Believe it or not but there’s a plant that replicates the human behavior of folding hands in humility.
Naturally, these plants don't have hands like humans do. So they use leaves.
Sounds like a miracle?
It’s not. When you touch a shameplant or a “Touch-Me-Not” plant, the leaves actually fold by themselves. In poetry or in layman's language, we can say that’s out of shyness.
In reality, when you touch the leaves of this plant, the stimulus first reaches the base of the leaf, and the water in the vacuoles of the leaf cells lose water to the nearby cell. In this process, the leaf then loses all of its water and becomes floppy as a result. The process is responsible for the closing of the leaves.
Wait, there’s more to Touch Me Not plant that meets the eye.
This plant is an excellent healer of cuts and wounds. It can also treat many diseases like piles, diarrhea, diabetes, and more. There are many such amazing things to learn about touch me not plants.
In this blog, we will discuss
- Facts about touch me not plant
- What are the benefits of touch me not plants?
- How can you easily grow touch me not plants at home?
- How to take good care of touch me not plants?
Let’s get to know many such cool things about the shame plant or touch me not plant.
Facts about touch me not plant
- The scientific name of the Touch Me Not plant is Mimosa pudica. Pudica, in Latin, means shy.
- Other names for this plant include sleeping plant, shy plant, and action plant
- Touch me not plants come in roughly 4000 different varieties
- This plant is native to the Caribbean, South, and Central America
- Not only touching but warming, blowing, and shaking also make this plant close their leaves. They are all surrounded by mechanical or electrical stimulation. This is referred to as seismonastic movement.The reflex may have evolved as a defense mechanism to ward off predators or, alternatively, to shade the plant in order to reduce water loss due to evaporation.
- Touch me not plant is grown most as an indoor plant. But some people grow it outside too.
- Do you know that according to Vastu, this plant should be kept in the north direction of your home?
What are the benefits of touch me not plants?
Touch Me Not is a mysterious plant. The closing of leaves is the prime highlight of this plant, but many are unaware of the presence of varied nutrients in it. Read below about the numerous benefits you can draw from this plant.
1. Controls heavy menstruation flow
The touch-me-not plant has hormone-balancing properties that can provide relief from heavy bleeding during menstruation. Experts say that drinking the juice of the leaves mixed with honey once or twice a day would yield effective results.
2. Heals cuts and wounds
Falls, cuts, and other injuries are frequent, especially in kids. We all keep antiseptic liquids or lotions in our homes for such situations. However, there may be instances where you run out of these disinfectants, in which case a touch-me-not plant would be quite helpful. Just rubbing some leaves together or crushing the leaves and applying the juice to the cut or wound would alleviate pain and promote faster healing.
3. Treats diarrhea
Diarrhea can sometimes be brought on by eating oily or junk food, drinking water improperly, being outside in hot, muggy conditions, etc. Touch-me-not plants help the body maintain a good water balance. The leaf juice works wonderfully and will hasten your recovery.
4. Cures intestinal disorders and stomachache
The anti-bacterial properties in touch-me-not plants help treat intestinal disorders and stomachaches. People experience stomach ache in both scenarios. A visit to the doctor is advised. To cure certain kinds of stomach problems, you can also form a paste out of touch-me-not leaves and combine it with honey.
5. Has antiseptic properties
The antibacterial characteristics of the touch-me-not plant help treat itchy skin brought on by changing weather or other illnesses. An antiseptic paste made from touch-me-not roots would work well.
6. Can cure piles
Touch-me-not plant leaves if consumed in powder form along with milk can cure piles or hemorrhoids. The root of this plant is also efficient in treating piles.
7. May relieve arthritis pain
Arthritis is a painful disease caused by inflammation. Because of its anti-inflammatory characteristics, the touch-me-not plant can ease arthritis pain. This plant's leaves can be ground into a paste that can be applied to joints and left on overnight. In the morning, wash it and notice the change.
8. Treats diabetes
Touch-me-not, or Mimosa pudica, is said to be excellent at controlling blood sugar levels, according to Ayurveda. Touch-me-not plants aid in reducing blood sugar spikes by producing enough insulin. It is said that if one consumes the juice of the leaves twice a day, a positive change will be noticed.
9. Cures jaundice
Touch-me-not is not just another ornamental plant for your indoor or outdoor garden. It is much more than that. Jaundice can be cured by consuming touch-me-not juice extracted from the plant's leaves twice a day for three weeks.
10. Treats snake bites and insect bites
People in villages still believe in the immense power of plants and leaves in curing most of the diseases. Ask any villager and he/she would say that touch-me-not leaves are extremely effective in fighting against the venom of snakes. Even the dangerous cobra bite can also be treated with this plant. A decoction of roots in water is prepared to treat snake bites or other insect bites.
11. Treats insomnia and asthma
This plant is further used to cure insomnia. Both the body and the brain are calmed by it. Touch-me-not aids in lowering stress and anxiety, which promotes restful sleep. If the juice from this wonder plant is drunk twice daily, asthma can also be effectively treated.
How can you easily grow touch me not plants at home?
Time to plant
Set the time of the spring growing season for planting a touch-me-not plant. If you have kept the plant outdoors, then bring it inside in the winter and arrange for lights or temperature control to keep the plant safe.
Get seeds
Any local or online retailer has touch-me-not plant seeds. The greenish seeds' brown covering has to be removed. To scarify a seed, scratch its surface.
Potting mix
Now you have to prepare the soil to grow touch-me-not. It prefers well-drained soil. So, you can mix two parts of loam with one part of peat moss and one part of sand or perlite. You may also pick up all-purpose commercial potting soil, which has a similar ratio.
Germinating seeds
Soak the seeds in a bowl of water for a day. Scratch the tough outer layer off and immerse them in water. This will help the seeds germinate faster.
Planting
- Place 2-3 seeds in each pot that is at least 7 cm in diameter. Each seed needs to be planted in the ground around 3 mm deep.
- Give the soil enough water. Keep it wet but not soggy. Inspect the soil as well to determine when to water it once more.
- Place the pots in a well-lit area that receives plenty of sunlight. Keep the pots in some shade if you live somewhere hot and humid. For healthy growth, the pots should be exposed to sunshine for the majority of the day.
- The seeds may germinate within a week in the best circumstances, with temperatures about 21 degrees Celsius. This could take two to four weeks in less ideal conditions or if you didn't soak the seeds the previous day.
- Put plastic wrap over the pot in case your room is too cool or dry. Once a seedling emerges, remove this covering.
Propagating
- To start a new touch-me-not plant, cut a 10 cm (4 inch) shoot from the existing plant. When cutting a shoot, make sure it has at least one leaf node.
- Now use potting soil to plant the shoot in a pot.
- Put the shoot in a glass of water if you want it to develop roots before being placed in the pot. Place it somewhere bright and sunny. Transfer it to a pot as soon as roots begin to emerge.
- Or you could just wrap plastic wrap around the pot's top. As a result, a humid environment will be created for the shoot to establish itself in.
- And now water the soil properly until shoots appear.
How to take good care of touch me not plants?
Water
This plant requires water quite often. The soil should be moist all the time but not soggy.
Soil
The touch-me-not plant grows best in a loamy, well-draining soil, both inside and outside.
Fertilizer
Mimosa pudica, also known as touch-me-not, doesn't need a lot of fertilizer, but you can encourage development throughout the growing season by using a high-potassium liquid fertilizer that has been diluted to half strength on a weekly basis.
Transplant
Only transplant into new pots if absolutely required. Cut the weakest seedling if more than one sprouts in the same pot. The healthiest seedling's growth will be aided by this. Alternatively, you can move every seedling into a different container, but do so at your own risk. When your plant reaches maturity, move it to a bigger pot once the roots push against the container's sides or emerge through the drainage hole.
Location
Try to keep the plant indoors, but also make sure it receives some sunlight throughout the day. So, an east-facing window is ideal.
Temperature
The ideal temperature for the growth of the touch-me-not plant is between 15 and 30 degrees Celsius.
Space
Give the plant enough room to grow. The stem will fall over and creep along the ground once it matures. So, build a trellis to support this plant.
Diseases
Generally, spider mites, mealy bugs, and thrips affect this plant. You can spray a mix of water or neem oil every few days to steer clear of such diseases.
Sunlight
Touch-me-not plant requires bright sunlight for up to 8 hours per day. Direct sunlight is also okay for this plant. An absence of proper sunlight will lead to the closing of leaves, and flowers won’t be produced either.
References :
https://leafylifestyle.in/blog/touch-me-not-plant-facts-and-uses
https://www.wikihow.com/Grow-a-Sensitive-Plant-(Mimosa-pudica)
