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Chamaecrista fasciculata

partridge pea

Fabaceae Central and eastern North America

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

Overview

Chamaecrista fasciculata is an upright annual legume in the pea family, growing 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) tall on slender, branching stems. The leaves are pinnately compound with 8-18 pairs of small oblong leaflets that fold together when touched or at night. From midsummer into fall the plant produces yellow flowers about 1-1.5 inches (2.5-4 cm) across, each with five unequal petals and a small red spot at the base, borne in the leaf axils along the stem. Small cup-shaped glands at the leaf bases secrete nectar that draws ants, while the flowers are worked by bumblebees and other native bees. Flat pods 1.5-2.5 inches (4-6 cm) long follow the flowers and twist open to fling out the seeds. As a legume it fixes nitrogen through root bacteria and grows strongly on poor, sandy soil. Chamaecrista fasciculata self-seeds freely and reappears each year from seed, often forming colonies on disturbed ground. The seeds feed quail, songbirds, and small mammals through fall and winter.

Native Range

Chamaecrista fasciculata is native to central and eastern North America, from the Great Plains and Midwest east to the Atlantic coast and south into Mexico. It grows in prairies, open woods, roadsides, and sandy disturbed ground.

Suggested Uses

Grown in pollinator gardens, prairie and meadow plantings, erosion-control seedings, and roadside restorations on poor soil. It supplies nectar and pollen to native bees, hosts the larvae of several sulphur butterflies, and feeds seed-eating birds. Its nitrogen fixation and tolerance of sandy ground suit it to reclaiming bare or eroded sites.

How to Identify

Recognized by feathery, pinnately compound leaves of 8-18 leaflet pairs that fold when touched, and yellow five-petaled flowers about 1-1.5 inches (2.5-4 cm) across with a red spot near the center. Tiny saucer-shaped nectar glands sit on the leaf stalks. Flat, slightly curved pods follow the flowers and split open with a twist.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 3'

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Colors

Flower Colors

yellow

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

no change

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~10 weeks

Summer Fall

Flowering runs from midsummer to early fall, mainly July through September. Each flower lasts about a day, with new blooms opening along the stems over many weeks. Bloom is heaviest on plants in full sun and open ground.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

yellow with a red center

Foliage Description

green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam rocky

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow from seed sown in full sun on well-drained, sandy, or poor soil, where this legume grows strongly without added fertilizer. Established stands are drought tolerant and need no watering in most seasons. Rich soil and shade produce leggy growth and fewer flowers. As an annual it completes its cycle in one season and returns from self-sown seed, so a patch persists year to year if some seed is left to drop. Scarified or scuffed seed germinates more evenly. The plant fixes its own nitrogen and builds up thin soils over time.

Pruning

No pruning is required for this annual. Plants can be sheared back lightly in midsummer to curb legginess and prompt branching. Stems are left standing into fall so the pods can ripen and drop seed for the next year.