Episode 93 - Shyly Grass

Chiu Yin and I visited the flower market yesterday.

Chiu Yin noticed that one of the flower shops was selling "Shyly Grasses". He just learned something about it in the school so he wished to keep one. I had no objection to this and Chiu Yin selected the tallest one (see photos above) among the grasses. It only costs $5. We tidied up the plant at home and put it in a beautiful pot.

The official name of the plant is mimosa pudica. In Hong Kong, we used to called it "Shyly Grass". It is so called because its leaves will fold up and its stems will drop down if we touch them (as in the 2nd photo) - it looks like a shyly child. The leaves and the stems will revive back to the original position in one or two minutes' time.

Some 30 years ago, the "Shyly Grass" was a kind of weeds which we could easily find in Hong Kong. However, with the development of the city, the plant can now only be located in the countryside or flower shops.

Chiu Yin has agreed to take up the responsibility to water the plant. I hope Chiu Yin can learn how to take care of a plant life himself.

Chiu Yin said he will draw a picture of the Shyly Grass later on. If so, I will post it in Chiu Yin's Gallery.