Now you see it

…now you don’t

Close up of Sensitive Plant leaflets unaffected by rain. © Bronwen Scott.

There is a small patch of Sensitive Plant (Mimosa pudica, Fabaceae) in the garden. Native to Central and South America, this species has been introduced elsewhere and is now widespread in Africa, Asia and Australia. It is sometimes grown as a pot plant — but not for its delicate fern-like foliage or its fluffy pink flowers. It is grown for its unusual behaviour.