Mimosa quadrivalvis (Sensitive Briar)

Mimosa quadrivalvis (Sensitive Briar) is a trailing or creeping perennial vine with alternate, twice pinnately compound, shiny dark green leaves. They are divided into 13–15 divisions that are again divided into 8–16 tiny leaflets. These leaflets fold when disturbed, hence its common name. The sprawling or clambering stem is armed with small recurved prickles. Blooming from spring to early fall, pink to magenta ball-shaped flowers, 1 in. across (2.5 cm), with protruding yellow-tipped stamens, appear on long stalks arising from the leaf axils. The flowers attract bees and other pollinators and are followed by very prickly pods, 3 in. long (7 cm), splitting into four parts when mature. Despite the curved prickles, the pods are nutritious for foraging mammals. Native to North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, Sensitive Briar occurs in glades, open woods, thickets, prairies, and roadsides. Sensitive Briar is desirable in informal wildflower gardens or pastures, providing nutritious food for all types of livestock while improving the soil with its nitrogen-fixing ability.

• Grows up to 1-2 ft. tall (30-60 cm), 4 ft. long (120 cm) and 2-4 ft. wide (60-120 cm).
• Performs best in full sun to partial shade in sandy, slightly dry to slightly moist, sharply-drained soils. Drought tolerant once established.
• No serious disease issues. Deer resistant.
• Propagated by division of rhizomes and tubers.
• Native to the central and southern United States and south to Ecuador, as well as parts of the Caribbean, such as Puerto Rico.