Wild senna (Senna hebecarpa) Plants

What is there not to love about wild senna? Wonderful pollinator plant, host plant to Sulphur butterflies, and birds are known to feed on its seeds. This larger perennial in the pea family plant has striking yellow flowers with dark red centers, attractive foliage, and conspicuous seed pods. Flowers lack nectaries but the plant has evolved extrafloral nectaries on its petioles- watch pollinators utilize the flowers for pollen and the stems for nectar!

This species used to be widespread in New England, but populations have diminished significantly and is now quite rare. 

Native to: eastern North America, Ontario, southern ME to GA

Growing conditions: sun-part shade, medium-moist soil

Natural habitat: Floodplains, fields, roadsides 

Grows up to: 4’-6’

Blooms: July, August

Pairs well with: Wild indigo and Culvers root