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Hairy Snoutbean Rhynchosia tomentosa

Other Common Name(s):

Phonetic Spelling
Rine-KOE-zee-ah toe-men-TOE-sah
Description

The erect snoutbeam is a perennial member of the legume family (Fabaceae). It is native to the southeast United States and is commonly found in dry open woodlands and sandhills. In North Carolina, it is primarily found in the sandhills and Piedmont areas. The common name comes from the small downward pointing beak or “snout” on the end of the seed pod.

This wildflower will grow up to 30 inches tall with few to no branching and relatively few leaves. The erect habit and trifoliate leaves help to identify it from the other two snoutbeans in the area. This plant prefers full sun to partial shade and sandy well-drained soil. It is quite drought-tolerant. and poor soils tolerant but will not tolerate too much shade or wet soils. As with other plants in the legume family, erect snoutbean fixes nitrogen in the soil so no fertilization is needed.

The yellow butterfly-shaped flowers appear in May and continue through August. They are followed by the legume. The leaves have deep veins and hairs giving them a crinkly appearance and a velvety feel. 

 Use this plant in a native pollinator garden, in pots, mass-planted or in borders. They will bloom even during the hottest and driest summers and attract pollinators to your garden.

This plant was selected as the 2024 NC Wildflower of the Year, a program managed by the North Carolina Botanical Garden with some financial support from the Garden Club of North Carolina.

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See this plant in the following landscape:
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#small spaces#drought tolerant#fall flowers#yellow flowers#mass planting#NC native#nitrogen fixation#summer flowers#herbaceous perennial#poor soils tolerant#NC Native Pollinator Plant#NC Wildflower of the Year#container plant#sun#sandy soil#border#coastal
 
Cultivars / Varieties:
Tags:
#small spaces#drought tolerant#fall flowers#yellow flowers#mass planting#NC native#nitrogen fixation#summer flowers#herbaceous perennial#poor soils tolerant#NC Native Pollinator Plant#NC Wildflower of the Year#container plant#sun#sandy soil#border#coastal
  • Attributes:
    Genus:
    Rhynchosia
    Species:
    tomentosa
    Family:
    Fabaceae
    Life Cycle:
    Perennial
    Recommended Propagation Strategy:
    Seed
    Country Or Region Of Origin:
    Spoutheast USA
    Distribution:
    AL , AR , DC , DE , FL , GA , KY , LA , MD , MS , NC , SC , TN , TX , VA , WV
    Wildlife Value:
    Flowers attract pollinators
  • Whole Plant Traits:
    Plant Type:
    Herbaceous Perennial
    Native Plant
    Wildflower
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Habit/Form:
    Erect
    Growth Rate:
    Medium
    Maintenance:
    Low
  • Cultural Conditions:
    Light:
    Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
    Soil Texture:
    Sand
    Shallow Rocky
    Soil Drainage:
    Good Drainage
    Occasionally Dry
    NC Region:
    Coastal
    Piedmont
  • Fruit:
    Display/Harvest Time:
    Fall
    Fruit Type:
    Legume
    Fruit Length:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Width:
    < 1 inch
    Fruit Description:
    Small legumes, usually with 2 seeds
  • Flowers:
    Flower Color:
    Gold/Yellow
    Flower Inflorescence:
    Spike
    Flower Value To Gardener:
    Long Bloom Season
    Flower Bloom Time:
    Fall
    Summer
    Flower Shape:
    Funnel
    Flower Petals:
    4-5 petals/rays
    Flower Size:
    < 1 inch
    Flower Description:
    The 1/2-inch long yellow butterfly-shaped flowers grow in small clusters in the leaf axils and at the end of branches. Blooms May through August
  • Leaves:
    Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
    Deciduous
    Leaf Color:
    Green
    Leaf Feel:
    Velvety
    Leaf Type:
    Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
    Leaf Arrangement:
    Opposite
    Leaf Shape:
    Elliptical
    Leaf Margin:
    Entire
    Hairs Present:
    Yes
    Leaf Length:
    1-3 inches
    Leaf Width:
    < 1 inch
    Leaf Description:
    The green compound leaves are trifoliate, have deep sunken veins and are hairy. Leaflets are 1.5 to 2 inches long and 1/2 as wide. The shape is elliptical. Hairs are present on both sides giving them a velvety feel.
  • Stem:
    Stem Color:
    Green
    Stem Is Aromatic:
    No
    Stem Surface:
    Hairy (pubescent)
    Stem Description:
    Green stems with hairs
  • Landscape:
    Landscape Location:
    Coastal
    Container
    Naturalized Area
    Small Space
    Walkways
    Landscape Theme:
    Butterfly Garden
    Drought Tolerant Garden
    Native Garden
    Pollinator Garden
    Rock Garden
    Design Feature:
    Border
    Attracts:
    Bees
    Butterflies
    Pollinators
    Resistance To Challenges:
    Drought
    Dry Soil