Sensitive people are all around. Some people have sensitive feet, hands or skin. Some may have a hard time laughing at their own mistakes. You may know someone like this. But can you imagine living with a sensitive plant?
Try this: hold your hand in front of you with your palm side up. Spread your fingers apart. Imagine that your hand is a green plant stem. Imagine that each finger is a leaf. Use your other hand to touch your leaf fingers. One at a time, slowly close each leaf finger, until you have made a fist. Drop you hand down to your leg. Wait a few minutes, then slowly bring your hand back to where it was. That was not so hard, was it? But you are a person! Imagine behaving like this as a plant!
This is the behavior that has earned the sensitive plant its name. When you brush your fingers gently across the leaves of the sensitive plant the leaves instantly fold up like tiny green fingers. The stems droop as if ready to fall off the plant. About ten minutes later, the leaves reopen. The stem will rise again! This unusual houseplant has other names, such as the humble plant and the touch-me-not.
Sensitive plants are easy to grow at home. They simply need to get plenty of water and sunlight. Touching the plant too often can cause the plant to lose its leaves. A sensitive plant that loses many of its leaves may become unhealthy. Having such a unique plant in your house is like having a magic show at your fingertips.
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