A showy annual legume (member of the Bean Family) with beautiful featherlike leaves and simple bright yellow flowers all summer and into fall. The fruit is a small flat pod 1-2 1/2 inches long turning from green to brown when mature. Seeds are eaten by quail and many other birds. A host plant for cloudless sulfur butterflies. Often found in disturbed areas. Grows well on poor ground. Host plant for larvae of the Sleepy Orange butterflly.
Native Plant Database
Header Photo: Mervin Wallace
Partridge Pea
Chamaecrista fasciculata
Plant Type: Annuals
Native Environment: Glade, Prairie, Savanna / Woodland
Season of Interest:
Main Color: Yellow
Fall Color:
USDA PLANTS Range Map
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun

Soil
Moisture
Dry, Moderate

Nature Attracting
Butterfly, Pollinators/Beneficial Insects, Songbirds

Wildlife Benefit
Butterfly / Moth Host, Food/Birds

Animal
Resistance
Size
Height:
24 to
40
inches
Spread:
18 to
inches
Size
Height: 24 to
40
inches
Spread: 18 to
inches
Size
Height: 24 to
40
inches
Spread: 18 to
inches
Typical Landscape Use
Great for attracting songbirds and other bird species to an area.
Establishment and Care Instructions
This annual grows well on disturbed ground in full sun.
Special Features
Special Usage
Basic Description
Where Should I Start?
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Where Can I Find This Plant in Nature?
Learn about the Native Environment(s) inhabited by the plants in this database.