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Native Sensitive Weed Neptunia Gracilis Seeds
Packet of 15+ seeds of this unusual, beautiful, native plant!
This is unusual little native ground cover has bright yellow pom pom flowers and frilly Mimosa like leaves.
Amazingly, as the name suggests it is very sensitive, and it actually MOVES when you touch it!
Even clapping your hands or the vibrations caused by walking up to it when it is growing in the ground is enough to make it fold down its leaves, shrink up, and hide.(Makes taking good pictures a bloody nightmare..)
It does this to prevent the critters eating it, and it is pretty damn cool I reckon!
First of all I better say, it is NOT the massive imported aquatic weeds Neptunia oleracea or Neptunia plena.
It is also NOT Mimosa pudica, the much more common imported pink flowered “sensitive weed”.
That fella is famous because of wide range of medicinal uses, and because of the fact it moves.
I grow it as well and you can Buy Mimosa Pudica Seeds here.
While I do love that plant too, there are three main reasons why this fella is a better choice as an ornamental.
1. It’s flowers are yellow and a little bigger, where as Mimosa pudica are pink.
Not a big deal, but yeah, some folks prefer yellow.
2. It doesn’t have any thorns, spikes or prickles!
Unlike the more common Sensitive weed~Mimosa pudica this fella is smooth and leafy all over.
Mimosa pudica is a little bit like a thorny rose if you look closely, and while not a big deal to me as I grow them in pots, that is the main reason folks hate it growing as a weed in their pastures and lawns.
3. The final reason is that it’s a true blue Aussie Native!
Although hardly ever seen as it folds up and hides in the grass when you make a noise or walk towards it, it is found all through Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australian, and the Northern Territory.
I have also seen it in a Victorian park so at least as a Spring Summer Autumn annual it can survive further south in colder climates.
Being an Aussie native means no weed dramas, having no spikes means its safe for the kiddies and a much better choice for school scientific experiments.
It is very easy to grow but it takes a while because the seeds are very hard and they have a natural dormancy.
For me it normally takes a couple weeks, but sometimes it takes a couple months.
You can speed it up a bit by soaking in a cup of hot(not boiling)water overnight, before planting the next day.
You can speed it up even more by using GA3 and/or Smoked Vermiculite which is another great set of experiments for kids too do(under the strict supervision of a responsible adult of course!).
While not an edible or food crop, I personally reckon every school agricultural plot and native bushtucker garden in Australia should have a couple pots of this guy, just as a novelty curiosity type thing.
After all, sparking an interest and encouraging curiosity about our native species has got to be a step in the right direction along the road to protecting and valuing them?
And if you can do all that with just a few bucks, it’s gotta be worth doing I reckon….
Grown by me and the Mrs organically, no chemicals, no nasties, no problems!!!
