Seed NeedsSensitive Plant Seeds for Planting Mimosa pudica - Heirloom & Open Pollinated Annual Flowers - Pink Blooms with Leaves That React to Touch (2 Packs)

The media could not be loaded. I had always wanted to meet a mimosa plant in person after seeing videos about how they close their leaves when you touch them, but I lived in the northeast US where they don't naturally grow, so I got these seeds, and they've done really well!In order to germinate, the seeds need to be put in hot water (hot enough that it's just a little bit uncomfortable to touch, not boiling, I let them sit for about 20 minutes), and the water will help soften the seed coat and the heat will stimulate it to start growing. Then I put them in a plastic container with a damp paper towel under the light until they start germinating. The ones that germinated grew beautifully in just normal soil, they got adorable pink flowers after a few months, and they do close their leaves if you touch them! They need a careful balance of warm but not too hot (they close their leaves in the hot sunlight, so a place where they can get milder morning or evening sun is best) and slightly moist soil but not too damp (if the leaves turn yellow and fall off, it can be overwatering).I started growing these guys at the beginning of March, and by summer time, they were doing wonderfully and making flowers. Now later in August, they're starting to make seed pods, so next year there can be even more mimosas!I've even been able to donate a few of the plants to schools so that the biology and agriculture teachers can show their students these amazing plants, and they've been a great way to start conversations and spark an interest in plants with people who see them.

The package arrived in perfect condition, and the seeds were double sealed - those nice seed packages you see in the item photos were inside of another, more heavy duty package, which was inside of a shipping envelope. Yes, I did count, and both packages contained more than 100 seeds.Now, as far as growing these fascinating plants, it is NOT as hard as you may have read. First, think about how many of these plants you want to *have*. They are definitely one of the coolest plants I have ever seen. But, they are going to get fairly large. Do you intend for them to be houseplants? They can be! Do you want them outside? Depending on where you live, they may be considered invasive. You're getting 200 seeds.Don't worry about scratching them or putting them in the fridge for 5 years. Just put hot water in a bowl or cup and put the seeds in it overnight (let it cool). The next day, plant them a half inch under the surface of any potting mix. My experience using this method resulted in an approximately 75% germination rate. Again, you're getting 200 seeds. Say you don't have a green thumb, life will find a way when you are planting 200 seeds. If you do have a green thumb, or just soak them overnight, you'll have many, if you want them. I planted all 200 and have given some away but threw many out because I simply have no use for them.So, what about the plants? Are they really that neat? I suppose it depends. They are one of a very small number of plants known to science that exhibit rapid plant movement; that is, movement quick enough to be observed with the naked eye. This puts them in league with Venus fly traps, though I would wager M. pudica is faster. The leaves do reset very quickly (~2 minutes). They are scientifically fascinating and a good conversation piece. I personally also just can't walk by them without giving a leaf a little tap.Bottom line: good seeds that are virtually foolproof to grow, and the plant they produce is really neat!

After reading reviews and tips on how to germinate, I've finally started getting more sprouts.I left them in the freezer, probably been in there fire a few weeks now.I take them out and put them on a wet paper towel, and put another one over the top. I folded the paper towels in 4ths to make them retain for water. And I used a small dish to put them on. I didn't roll them up or anything like that. Then I put them in a large baggie and put them on a heating pad, leaving a portion of the baggie open for air. You don't want mold to start growing.When I see some start to sprout I sew them. Opening them once or twice a day.It seems I have had better luck when the paper towels are pretty wet, and the to one is pushed down to make sure there's no air around the seeds.Some of them i nicked, as suggested, but so far it doesn't seem to make a big difference.For awhile no seeds germinated, I almost lost hope, letting the paper towel dry out. I tried again and made sure it was pretty wet, and started seeing the seeds expand. For obvious reasons this means the seeds are starting to germinate. These little buggers are hard to get going, but I think germination rates can be increased with patience and determination. If you think the seeds are no good, get them wetter and maybe increase the heat a tad, you should see some seeds start to expand within a couple nights.So far I have about 10 sprouts, and I've only used a small portion of the seeds, sorry I haven't counted. I'm definitely not a green thumb, so this is pretty good for me!