Senna hebecarpa
Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Cassia hebecarpa
- Phonetic Spelling
- SEN-nuh hee-be-KAR-puh
- Description
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American Senna is a perennial in the bean family native to moist forested areas and disturbed sites in eastern North America. Showy light orange to yellow flowers form seed pods that attract birds. This plant is drought tolerant once established and tolerant of wet soils. This plant is easy to propagate by seeds started in the early fall or by the division of roots in the early spring or fall. Full sun aids in better flowering and while it can withstand sandy or rocky soils it prefers rich, loamy soil.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Grown in rich soil it can flop over when flowering and may need support.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Senna
- Species:
- hebecarpa
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Eastern Northern America
- Wildlife Value:
- Bumblebees are attracted to pollen. Birds enjoy the seeds particularly Bobwhites. Larval host plant of the Cloudless sulphur butterfly. Insects like ladybird beetles, ants and flies nectar at the glands found at the base of the petioles because the flowers are nectarless.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Rounded
- Maintenance:
- Low
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Wet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 4b, 5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a, 8a, 8b, 9b, 9a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Length:
- > 3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Flattened pods 4" long 1/2" wide, dark brown at maturity with 10-18 segments each containing a seed.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Raceme
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Butter yellow, not typical pea-like flowers, raceme or panicle of flowers 1/2"-1" long. Flowers have 5 yellow sepals, 5 yellow petals, 10 dark brown stamens. Petals whiten as they age from mid- to late summer.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Oblong
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Compound pinnate leaves 5-10 pairs of gray green leaflets 2 1/2" long and 3/4" wide. Leaflets are oblong, elipitic with a pointed tip. At the petiole base are two laceolate stipules that fall off.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Light green stout, slighty hairy
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Riparian
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Songbirds
