Have you ever seen a mimosa plant? When touched, the fern-like leaves of the mimosa pudica fold inward and droop downward. This action has a domino effect: the touched leaf folds and droops, and then the next, and the next. It looks like the plant is literally shriveling up and dying right in front of you. Mimosa is a Greek word meaning to mimic. Pudica is Latin for “shy,” “bashful,” or “shrinking.” So, I guess you could say that the mimosa pudica is mimicking shyness.

The mimosa pudica is known by many names. In the U.S. and England it is also known as “Sensitive Plant,” “Humble Plant,” “Shame Plant,” “Prayer Plant,” “Tickle-Me-Plant,” and “Touch-Me-Not.” In Spanish, it is called, mori-vivi (“I died, I lived”). In Tonga, it is called mateloi (“false death”). In Hindi, it is known as chhu…