About This Plant
A native legume, this plant helps to fix nitrogen in the soil. Each leaf has 10-15 pairs of leaflets giving it a delicate appearance, and the leaves will retract when touched, so sometimes it is called Sensitive Plant. Showy yellow flowers with deep red stamens grow 2-4 together in clusters on the stem. Seed pods will split and expel the seed several feet away. The seeds are important food sources to small gamebirds and bobwhites, while the plant stems provide cover for birds and small mammals.
Plant Details
Environment
Attributes
- Plant Types
- Maximum Plant Width
- Peak Bloom Seasons
- Leaf Retentions
- Growth Rates
- Mature Plant Heights
- Bloom Colors
- Bloom Times
- Additional Features
Benefits
- Wildlife Benefits
Plant Facts
This is an ANNUAL plant, meaning it will die each winter and will not come back in the spring. However, it is an aggressive grower and self seeds, so you may see more plants each year if left to seed.
Alternate Names
Common Partidge Pea, Golden Cassia, Large-Flowered Sensitive Pea, Locust Weed, Prairie Senna, Senna, Sensitive Plant, Sleeping Plant
