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. It gets another common name, sensitive plant, from the way its leaves retract when touched. Showy yellow flowers with deep red stamens grow in clusters pf two or four on the stem. Seed pods will split and expel the seed several feet away. The seeds are important food sources to small gamebirds like the bobwhite quails, and the plant's stem provides cover for other birds and small mammals.
Plant Details
Environment
Attributes
- Plant Types
- Peak Bloom Seasons
- Leaf Retentions
- Growth Rates
- Mature Plant Heights
- Maximum Plant Width
- Bloom Colors
- Bloom Times
- Additional Features
Benefits
- Wildlife Benefits
Plant Facts
This is considered an annual plant, meaning it will die each winter and will not come back in the spring. However, it is an aggressive grower and if left to seed, may come back each year.
Alternate Names
Common Partidge Pea, Golden Cassia, Large-Flowered Sensitive Pea, Locust Weed, Prairie Senna, Senna, Sensitive Plant, Sleeping Plant
