Plant is a reclining perennial with prickles. Preferred habitat is prairies, roadsides, glades, fields and thin woods. Distribution is throughout the Escambia region. Leaflets are asymmetrical and fold when handled. Flowering occurs in late spring and throughout the summer.
Fruit is a legume, which seeds are often eaten by songbirds.
The filaments of the pink stamens contribute to the powder-puff effect of the flowers. Numerous species of these spiny plants occur. Other descriptive synonyms which apply to the Sensitive Briar are Leptoglottis microphylla and Mimosa quadrivalvis . While the plant is often considered a pest in fields and on fence rows it is, in fact, very useful as it fixes nitrogen in the soil.