Bunch-type, readily reseeding annual in disturbed upland sites; foliage is nutritious but can be poisonous and should be considered potentially dangerous to cattle; fruit and seeds can irritate the digestive tract of livestock; seeds are a source of food for quail.
Chamaecrista fasciculata (Partridge Pea) is an erect, clump-forming annual wildflower that can grow to a height of 3.3 ft. Partridge Pea flowers are bright yellow with a signature red mark near the base of the petals. The fruit of Chamaecrista fasciculata are legumes (pods) that are long and flat. When ripe, Partridge Pea legumes split, slinging black seeds away from the mother plant. Partridge Pea is a nitrogen-fixing species whose flowers produce pollen but not nectar. Nectar is produced by small orange glands at the base of each leaf. We have observed honeybees feeding on the nectar of Chamaecrista fasciculata that was not in bloom. Partridge Pea foliage provides browse for deer as well as cover for game birds. The seeds are a food source for bobwhite quail, greater and lesser prairie-chicken, and field mice. Chamaecrista fasciculata is found in areas ranging from southern Minnesota to eastern New Mexico, to Florida and Massachusetts. Partridge Pea grows in partial to full sun in mesic to dry soils of roadsides, riverbanks, clearings, and sandy soils. We use Chamaecrista fasciculata in woodland edge, wildlife, steep slope, riparian, biomass, honeybee forage, and pollinator-friendly meadow mixes. In plantings with our seed mixes, Partridge Pea is typically most abundant in the second growing season, then fades over succeeding years as stands thicken with perennial species. Partridge Pea seedlings are easily distinguished by the mimosa-like appearance of their pinnately compound leaves. Chamaecrista fasciculata is a member of the pea (Fabaceae) family. The genus Chamaecrista is derived from a combination of the Greek words "chamae", meaning low growth, and "cristata", meaning crested. The species name fasciculata means "banded" or "bundled" nerve fibers, referring to the sensitivity of the leaflets often folding together when touched.
