Partridge Pea
Chamaecrista fasciculata · Warm-season, Annual, C3-C4 intermediate legume
AI-generated identification · may be incorrect
Grass Category
Native Prairie / Wildflower / Cover Crop
Hardiness Zones
USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 9
Grass Family
Fabaceae (Legume family, not a true grass)
Variety / Cultivar
Native wild type
About This Grass
An annual herbaceous legume featuring delicate, fern-like pinnately compound leaves, bright yellow showy flowers, and distinctive flat green seed pods that turn brown and split open when mature. Height ranges from 1 to 3 feet.
Blade Characteristics
Not a grass; has pinnately compound leaves with numerous small, oblong, sensitive leaflets that fold when touched or at night.
Root System
Taproot system with nitrogen-fixing root nodules, excellent for poor soils and moderate erosion control.
Growing Information
Origin Region
Native to North America, widespread across the eastern and central United States
Growth Habit
Upright, branching, single-stemmed to bushy annual
Sunlight & Water Needs
Requires full sun, low to moderate water needs, highly drought tolerant once established, prefers well-drained sandy or loamy soils.
Mowing & Maintenance
Low maintenance native plant; does not tolerate regular turf mowing as it is an upright forb, best used in wildflower meadows or naturalized areas.
Special Characteristics
Fixes atmospheric nitrogen, highly attractive to pollinators like native bees and butterflies, exhibits thigmonastic movement (folding leaves).
Ecological Information
Native annual legume providing high wildlife value, critical food source for game birds and pollinators, and excellent for soil improvement in prairie restorations.