Is Mimosa pudica toxic? Can it be kept indoors?

Mimosa pudica is a very interesting plant. Touch its leaves lightly and they immediately fold up. Many people like this shy plant and keep a pot of Mimosa pudica at home as an ornamental plant. So, is Mimosa pudica toxic? Can Mimosa pudica be kept indoors?

Introduction to the Mimosa pudica plant

The flowers, leaves and seed pods of Mimosa pudica all have good ornamental value, and it is relatively easy to keep alive, making it suitable as a potted flower for balconies and indoors. It originates from the tropical regions of South America, prefers warmth and humidity, and grows in open wasteland and shrub thickets. It is often cultivated for ornament along the Yangtze River basin. Mimosa pudica prefers a warm, humid environment with plenty of sunlight, and does well in well-drained sandy loam rich in organic matter. The plant is robust, grows quickly and has strong adaptability.

Mimosa pudica is also a wonderful plant that can foretell changes between sunny and rainy weather. If you touch it with your hand and its leaves close very quickly but open very slowly, this indicates that the weather will turn clear. If, when you touch Mimosa pudica, its leaves contract slowly and droop sluggishly, or even close slightly and then open again right away, this indicates that the weather will turn from clear to overcast or that it is about to rain. In addition, Mimosa pudica can also predict severe weather changes; it produces growth activity contrary to its normal patterns in response to sudden out-of-season temperature differences, changes in geomagnetism, geoelectricity and so on.

Is Mimosa pudica toxic?

Mimosa pudica actually has a mildly toxic whole plant, but it does not affect people, and the entire plant is used as medicine, with effects of soothing the nerves and calming, stopping bleeding and astringing, and dispersing blood stasis and relieving pain. However, the herb of Mimosa pudica contains a substance called mimosine, and this substance is somewhat harmful to the human body. If you come into frequent contact with Mimosa pudica, it can cause a tingling numbness in the eyebrows, and the hair to turn yellow or even fall out.

During the day, Mimosa pudica does not harm the human body, but at night, when Mimosa pudica cannot carry out photosynthesis, it releases toxic substances. Therefore, it is recommended that Mimosa pudica is best not placed indoors; it can be placed on a balcony to avoid harm to the body.

For Mimosa pudica, an indoor environment is not conducive to its growth. Mimosa pudica needs strong light, and indoor light conditions cannot meet what Mimosa pudica needs to grow. Frequently touching Mimosa pudica is not only harmful to the human body, but also easily causes Mimosa pudica to drop its leaves. So, for your own and your family's health, and for the healthy growth of Mimosa pudica, it is still most suitable to keep Mimosa pudica outdoors.

Can a family with a pregnant woman keep Mimosa pudica?

Households with a pregnant woman had best not keep Mimosa pudica. Although Mimosa pudica does not have a strong scent, it contains an alkaloid, and long-term contact with it can cause human hair to fall out. If Mimosa pudica is kept at home, it can cause hair loss in pregnant women and, in severe cases, may lead to miscarriage. Keeping some flowers and plants indoors is always somewhat unfavorable for pregnant women; not to mention pollen allergies, it will more or less also have an effect on the fetus.

Can a family with young children keep Mimosa pudica?

Mimosa pudica is delicate and lovely, and reacts as soon as you touch it lightly. It is very lively and interesting, and we all like to touch it, let alone children. But Mimosa pudica contains toxic mimosine, and long-term contact can cause the hair follicles of skin cells to deteriorate, thereby causing the hair and eyebrows to turn yellow or even fall out. Therefore, households with young children had best not keep Mimosa pudica.

Young children's resistance is relatively weak, and the fragrance given off by the light purple flowers of Mimosa pudica may also cause discomfort in a baby's body. Moreover, young children will put anything within sight into their mouths to eat, and keeping Mimosa pudica at home makes it very likely that a young child will accidentally eat it. Considering the safety and health of children, the editor does not recommend keeping Mimosa pudica indoors.