Originally from tropical America, the sensitive plant is widely introduced and is now found throughout the New World tropics. It is considered a troublesome weed in the Caribbean region and South America. In the United States its distribution is limited to Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Its bristled seeds are dispersed by attachment to animals or people. See Holm et al.
Sensitive plant is found in cultivated areas, lawns, and waste places.
It grows on a wide variety of soils and has a high tolerance for shade. It is often grown as an annual ornamental for its showy flowers and as a cover crop in some tropic countries for its nitrogen-fixing abilities. It occurs as a common weed in many cultivated crops and in pastures, where its high populations and thorny stems make grazing difficult. All observations and treatments should be recorded. Care should be taken to monitor small, slowly expanding populations which have not reached pest status.