Touch Me Not in 6″ Pot

A low, creeping to semi-erect annual or short-lived perennial subshrub. Stems are slender, woody at the base, 30–90 cm (1–3 ft) long, trailing or scrambling; armed with recurved prickles and fine bristles. Leaves are alternate, bipinnately compound: each leaf has 1–2 pairs of pinnae, each pinna bearing 10–26 pairs of tiny oblong leaflets (2–10 mm/0.1–0.4 in), soft gray-green. Signature movement (thigmonasty/nyctinasty): leaflets fold inward and the whole leaf droops within seconds of touch, shake, heat, or wind, then re-open in 5–30 min; leaves also close at night. Flowers appear as fluffy, globular pink-lilac pom-poms (1–2 cm/0.5–0.8 in) on peduncles from leaf axils, summer–fall. Seed pods are flat, segmented (2–8 joints), breaking into bristly segments with small brown seeds.

Quick care: bright light to partial sun (≥4–6 hrs bright indirect light; more sun = more compact growth; tolerates some shade). Prefers warm temps 20–30 °C (68–86 °F); sensitive to cold below ∼15 °C (59 °F), frost kills it (USDA 9–11 outdoors; grow as annual or houseplant). Use a light, fertile, well-draining mix (loam + sand/perlite); keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged—allow top 1–2 cm to dry between waterings; reduce in winter. Moderate to high humidity (40–70 %) appreciated indoors; mist if air is dry. Feed monthly spring–summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer at half strength. Propagate by seed (nick or soak overnight in warm water, germinates 7–21 days) or by semi-hardwood cuttings. Prune/tip-pinch to keep bushy; avoid frequent touching (it’s stressful and drains energy). Prickly stems—wear gloves. Toxicity: contains mimosine; roots/seeds toxic if ingested in quantity; skin contact generally safe.