hello
i found this plant in the garden centre and i love it, you touch the leaves and it closes (great fun).
my question is, does anyone else have this plant ? does it need andy special care or food ?
thank you
Have this five feet tall plant with thorns on the branches, growing outside my house abroad, it is a weed with pretty pink bottle brush type flowers, my son gave me one here in the uk, grew it in a pot fed it with Miracle Grow but it only lasted a year, too cold here for it in the winter I think, maybe would be ok inside when our summer has finished.
I remember it growing in Singapore when I was young. It is a weed there too, but I grew it from seeds a while ago for fun, it didn't last all that long though it might in a conservatory I suppose. It is a fascinating plant though. :)
What garden centre did you find it in? I've been looking for one for ages but none round my way stock it.
I love them and I want to get one for a mate.
i got it from dobbies garden centre for a about £3 i think.
it seems to be doing well on my windowsil so fingers crossed.
i love!!
Easy to grow from seed; most decent garden centres that sell a range of seeds will have it. I grow it in pots indoors and just chuck them out in summer - not worth over-wintering, as they get a bit tatty. Likes a bit more water than the average houseplant, but pretty easy to look after. Good plant for selling on stalls at school fairs etc.
The mechanism by which it curls up has been quite extensively studied by botanists - still not known exactly how or why it does it. You'd think the thorns were enough protection from being eaten by animals.
Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for it. :)