Summary ³

Chamaecrista fasciculata, the partridge pea, is a species of legume native to most of the eastern United States. It is an annual which grows to approximately 0.5 meters tall. It has bright yellow flowers from early summer until first frost, with flowers through the entire flowering season if rainfall is sufficient.

Description ⁴

Family:
Fabaceae (Pea)

Height:
1 to 3 feet

Leaves:
Alternate, 2-3 inches long, with 20-30 small, narrow, almost feather-like leaflets

Flower:
Showy and yellow, up to 1 inch wide, with 5 round petals and dark red centers, in groups of 2 to 4 in the leaf axils

Bloom time:
July-September

Nicknames:
Showy Partridge Pea

Habitat:
Prairies, roadsides

Wildlife Benefits:
The seed provides food for birds. Long-tongued bees pollinate the flowers.

Can I plant this in my garden?
Prefers sun to part shade and dry soils. It is an annual plant but will drop seeds that may germinate and produce new plants in the next growing season.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/partridge-pea

Range ⁴

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Bob Peterson, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/pondapple/7146603083/
2. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
3. Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamaecrista_fasciculata
4. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• eFloras.org
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online

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