Wildflower Wednesday: Partidge Pea, a Fabulous Fabaceae Goes To Seed

 I love plants that make a big show and Chamaecrista fasciculata/Partridge Pea out did itself this year. I scattered seed (with inoculant) a few years ago and it's grown from a few plants to a large and floriferously beautiful patch. If you want a long blooming plant (mid June to today) that also attracts butterflies (Cloudless sulfur) and bees then this annual is a great choice.

Cloudless sulfur caterpillar

Partridge Pea has been a Wildflower Wednesday star twice and most regular readers are familiar with its wonderfulness:

 Here's what I love about it!

• long bloom season
• pollinator magnet
• pretty flowers
• ferny leaves that add texture to a garden bed
• host plant for butterfly caterpillars. Cloudless Sulphur caterpillars will feed on both the Partridge Pea’s leaves and its flowers. You can tell which the caterpillar concentrated on by its color, which may be yellow or green. 
• Nitrogen left in ground from decaying matter improves soil fertility.
• ecologically valuable 

 

For September WW,  I want to change directions and focus on how easy it is to grow this delightful annual from seed. Seed growing wildflowers from purchased seeds is becoming more important than ever these days, since many of us are not going out and about during COVID. Seeds are easy to come by on the internet and if you're lucky friends can also share them with you.

Seed Collection

As it happens, it's time to collect seeds from my Partridge Peas before they are flung all over the driveway...And, I do mean flung! I picked a few of the earliest ripe pods and set them on the kitchen counter only to find the little rectangular seeds everywhere. It seems that as the pods continued to ripen they twisted open and the seeds exploded onto the counter.

Here's the scoop, when the seed pods are ripe they twist as they dry, splitting the pod open along its seams flinging the seeds into the air to land near and far from the plant.

 Plants have clever mechanisms to insure their continuity.

Too early to collect seeds

Like most other legumes/Fabaceaes form pods in late summer /early fall. The time to collect seeds is just before they are ready to twist open. Since the seed pods don't all ripen at once, I can collect individual brown seed pods by clipping them off with scissors. Yes, some pop open, but, I usually manage to get most of the seeds into my collection bowl. 

cover your bowl if the pods haven't all opened

If the entire stalk is ripe grab the bottom of the stalk and pull your hand up the stalk. You may have to cut some of the pods off with scissors anyway or you can clip off the stalk, but I like to leave the stalk to decay (it provides cover for critters and the decaying taproot can improve the soil). I don't save my seeds to plant in spring, I fall sow them where I want them to grow. This makes the most sense for me. If you purchase seed or are given seed then you can fall/winter sow or if you live further south, you can treat them and wait till very early spring. Don't worry, inoculant is not always necessary, especially if you have fertile soil.

• Cold Stratify Seeds: Step by Step Process
• Place a 1/4 cup of sand (or more) in a mixing bowl. ...
• Add your desired seed amount to the sand. ...
• Place sand/seed mixture in a ziploc bag and seal.
• Label the variety and date clearly on the bag.
• Place in the refrigerator for 10-30 or more day, depending upon seed type and requirements, before planting.

grasses, Rudbeckias, Phlox can hold their own against Partridge pea

Once established, you’ll never have to plant again because it enthusiastically self-sows. Ignore folks who call it invasive, it's not, but it is as I said earlier enthusiastic (okay, it can be aggressive, but, more aggressive plants can eventually crowd it out). Just yank out those you don't want or dig them up to share with a friend. Partridge pea does have a tap root and has been reported to be resistant to transplanting. I haven't found that to be true, but, then, I do move them to containers when they are smaller, and let them get established, then plant them. The taproot does several things-helps them resist drought and as the plants die back and decay it improves soil fertility/adds nitrogen to soil.

Planting

As I said earlier, Partridge pea is a prolific self-seeder and is easily propagated. I scattered purchased seed (Prairie Moon Nursery) several years ago. They came with inoculant (helps legumes grow) since then, I just let them drop their seeds in fall and sprout in the spring. I did not scarify my seeds. The winter weather takes care of scarification. The seeds have a hard outer shell that needs to be thinned or cracked to allow water to enter and freezing and thawing over winter takes care of it. Water is that magic elixir that makes seeds grow.

If you aren't winter sowing then you can stratify your seed. Partridge Pea only takes ten days of moist cold treatment to stratify, please note you will have to scarify the seed, too (nick the seed so water can get in) The hard outer shell must be thinned (with emory board) or gently cracked to improve chances for germination. After their cold period is up plant them and cover with soil...less than 1/2 inch deep. Again, I just tossed mine in the fall and most germinated.

 

It is an excellent plant to use in disturbed areas as it tends to establish quickly. Partridge pea is also a nitrogen-fixer, so it may improve and enrich soils, allowing for the introduction of more demanding plants into your landscape.

Particulars:

Family: Fabaceae 

Common Name: Partridge Pea, sleeping plant, showy partridge pea, prairie senna, large-flowered sensitive-pea, dwarf cassia, partridge pea senna, locust weed, golden cassia. 

Botanical Name: Chamaecrista fasciculata 

Annual: plant in fall with appropriate inoculant 

Range: native to the Southeast and throughout much of the U.S. east of the Rockies. 

Light Requirements: Full Sun, Half Sun / Half Shade 

Flower Color: Yellow with a touch of red Height: 24-36" tall Bloom Time: July and I hope into the fall 

Fruit: a straight, narrow pod 1½ to 2½ inches long, which splits along 2 sutures as it dries; the pod sides spiral to expel the seeds some distance from the parent plant. I always wondered why seed pods of legumes were twisted!  

Seed: Fertile flowers mature into a flat straight pod that is green and slightly hairy, turning dark brown and smooth at maturity at which time they split with a twisting action which can fling the seeds away from the plant.

Propagation: They require at least 10 days of cold stratification for germination plus scarification. An legume inoculum helps. I plant in the fall without any treatment and let nature do the work.  Fall/winter sow to make your life easy.

Host Plant: Cloudless Sulphur, Sleepy Orange, and Little Yellow, Ceraunus Blue and Gray Hairstreak  caterpillars. A good nectar source that also attracts many pollinators in addition to butterflies. (source) 

Comments:  It's used in the USA for cover cropping, ornate flowers in native gardens, honey crop, as an annual reseeding legume for restoration and conservation plantings, and wildlife food. Its seeds are a favorite food for many birds, including bobwhite quail and endangered prairie chickens, it provides cover for wildlife, is a pioneer plant in poor and disturbed areas, improving soils as a nitrogen fixer. It grows in dense stands and the decaying stalks provide covering for birds, small mammals and waterfowl.

I hope this helps you decide to plant this delightful beauty! Happy Wildflower Wednesday.

xoxogail

Welcome to Clay and Limestone's Wildflower Wednesday celebration. I am so glad you stopped by. WW is about sharing and celebrating wildflowers from all over this great big, beautiful world. Join us on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Remember, it doesn't matter if they are in bloom and, it doesn't matter if we all share the same plants; it's all about celebrating wildflowers. Please leave a comment when you add your url to Mr Linky.
 

 

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Wildflower Wednesday: Wild Senna

 Senna marilandica, Senna hebecarpa

Let me be absolutely honest with you from the start. I have no idea if my plants are Senna hebecarpa or Senna marilandica. For many of us they're indistinguishable from one another until their seeds ripen. The pods look the same, but they behave differently, Senna hebecarpa seeds will be expelled from their pods, while the seeds of Senna marilandica will stay tightly enclosed within the seed pod for months. I'll come back and relabel this post as soon as I know which Senna I have.

In the meantime, our Wildflower Wednesday star will be known as Wild Senna, the beautiful.

Wild Senna is a perfect plant for any gardener who loves pollinators, especially lovers of the bumbles. It seems that bumbles are picky eaters and prefer plants with nutrient-rich pollen. Wild Senna is one of their preferred pollen sources.

How do I know this?

 A "2016 study by researchers at Penn State found that bumble bees preferentially visit flowers that produce pollen that has higher protein-to-lipid ratios, and wild senna was the favorite of bumble bees amongst the plants used in the study." In case you're curious,
spiderwort and Culver's root were also among the highest visited plants in the study.

Wild senna is a member of the Fabaceae/pea family and native to eastern North America. Long lived and tall (could be 7 foot) it prefers sun/part sun and uniformly moist soil to thrive. Our star has flowers that are unusual for a member of the Pea family. Rather than curling to form the banner, wings and keel that are common Pea family characteristics,Wild Senna’s petals are open and distinct. It does have other characteristics that make it standout as a Fabaceae family member: pea like pods and compound leaves.

Source

Bumblebees and sweat bees are favorite visitors, although, bumbles are the primary pollinators for Wild Senna. Bumbles visit for the aforementioned nutrient rich pollen. The collected pollen feeds the growing larvae and provides provision for the long winter.

Like Partridge peas, Wild Senna does not produce nectar in their flowers, instead, the 'nectar' is found in little bulbous growths at the base of each stem called an 'extrafloral nectary'. These nectaries attract ants, flies, wasps and beetles. Occasionally, butterfly visit them. So far, I've only seen these large ants and a few smaller ones. I've seen seen Cloudless Sulphur butterfly flitting about the garden, but, I've not seen them on the Wild Senna. Which surprises me, since Wild Senna is a host plant for their cats.

It's a great plant with excellent wildlife value. 

There's only one problem with Wild Senna! It doesn't bloom nearly as long as I want it to! But it does have height, good looking compound leaves and blooms exactly when Bumbles need the pollen the most....Late summer when many are provisioning their nests for winter (especially in gardens further north of me).

aren't the seed pods cool

The flowers give way to pendant, pea-like seed pods which turn black in fall and are either expelled (if S hebecarpa) or persist (S marilandica) on the plants after the plant has died back to the ground in late fall.

I think the plant in seed is a beautiful as in flower.

This is a plant that belongs in every garden, especially pollinator gardens. I've only seen it offered online (most often as seeds). It's frustrating to see the same old same old perennials at nurseries when there are fantastic native plants that make the most sense for our gardens...but, I digress.

source

I've been imagining it as a replacement for the notorious Forsythia  Hedge (slowly removing). I can see it now, Wild Senna with it's beautiful compound leaves and stellar butter yellow flowers with Panicums, Indian Grass, Verbesinas, New York Ironweed, Joe pye weed, Boneset, and the ex-Asters. Note that all those plants prefer moist soil, which I don't have, but, oh doesn't that sound like a beautiful garden bed? 

This fall, I will sow seeds near the ex-asters and the Texas Star Hibiscus (they're located on a soaker hose route). I think they will dance well together. What do you think of planting  Packera aurea at it's feet for spring color?

Which ever Senna this turns out to be, it's so very welcome in my garden.
xoxogail


The Particulars

Family: Fabaceae
Common Name: Wild senna
Botanical Name: Senna hebecarpa or Senna marilandica
Distribution: Senna hebecarpa is native across the Northeastern U.S. from the Great Lakes as far south as Georgia. Senna marilandica has a broader range extending further west and south. It is generally found on disturbed sites, moist meadows, pastures, fields or roadsides in full or partial sun. It often flourishes within the floodplain of rivers. While it prefers moist soils it will also grow on dry sites.
Light Requirements: Full Sun, Half Sun/Half Shade
Soil: tolerating wet and dryer soils (once established) 
Flower: Small butter-­‐yellow flowers that grow in a profusion at the top of the stems.
Height: 3 to 7 foot tall
Bloom Time: July and August in middle Tennessee, I hope into the fall
Fruit: Senna marilandica~pendant, pea-like seed pods (to 4" long) which turn black in fall and persist on the plants well after the plant has in the normal course died back to the ground. Senna hebecarpa The dark brown seedpods are about 10 centimeters long when fully mature in September – October. The seed pods have 10 – 18 segments and split explosively when ripe.
Host Plant: Cloudless Sulphur, Sleepy Orange, and Little Yellow, Ceraunus Blue and Gray Hairstreak  caterpillars. A good nectar source that also attracts many pollinators in addition to butterflies. 
Companion planting:  Switch Grass, Indian Grass, wingstem, New York Ironweed, Joe pye weed, Boneset, Asters. To be sure you have good color in the Spring you can use golden Groundsel which flowers in late May into June. Wild Senna is an excellent plant for a wet meadow planting or garden border. Put it in the middle or rear of the bed. Range: Senna hebecarpa is native across the Northeastern U.S. from the Great Lakes as far south as Georgia. Senna marilandica has a broader range extending further west and south.
Comments: Is not grazed by mammals.

****I declare that our wildflower star star is Senna marilandica!****

 The seed pods are the giveaway to me!
 
Welcome to Clay and Limestone's Wildflower Wednesday celebration. WW is about sharing and celebrating wildflowers from all over this great big, beautiful world. Join us on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Remember, it doesn't matter if they are in bloom or not; and, it doesn't matter if we all share the same plants. It's all about celebrating wildflowers. Please leave a comment when you add your url to Mr Linky.




Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Wordless Wednesday: Last Butterfly In The Garden

 The cloudless sulphur, Phoebis sennae nectaring on Salvia elegans

xoxogail


Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.