Sensitive Briar (Mimosa quadrivalvis var. nuttallii)

Distinguishing Characteristics

Juvenile stem smooth with paired fern-like leaflets; older stem with numerous hooked prickles; fern-like leaflets close when touched.

Height

Trailing or creeping plant.

Blooms

May-September

Description

Flowers on long stalks arising from leaf axils in ball-shaped heads of many funnel-shaped pink to rose-colored minute flowers with stamens protruding.

Comments

Commonly found in the Ozarks and prairie regions of Missouri in open woodlands, savannas, glades, prairies and roadsides. Occasionally used in seeding mixes, the deep-rooted perennial withstands some grazing. It’s also called devil’s shoe lace because of the small prickles on older stems. Plant tends to creep across the ground and over nearby vegetation. Sensitive briar is a good food source for wildlife and nectar source for insects. Despite the prickly stems, cattle forage readily on this species.