Partridge Pea, PA Ecotype

Chamaecrista fasciculata (Partridge Pea) is an erect, clump-forming annual wildflower that grows to 3.3 ft. The flowers of Partridge Pea are bright yellow with a signature red mark near the base of the petals. The fruits of Chamaecrista fasciculata are legumes, or 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 smalll orange glands at the base of each leaf. We have observed honeybees nectaring on plants of Chamaecrista fasciculata that were not in bloom. Partridge Pea foliage provides browse for deeer as well as cover for game birds. Bobwhite quail, greater and lesser prairiie-chicken, and field mice eat Partridge Pea seeds. Chamaecrista fasciculata is found 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 clearings, riverbanks, roadsides, and sandy soils. We use Chamaecrista fasciculata as part of 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. Seedlings of Partridge Pea are easily distinguished by the mimosa-like appearance of their pinnately compound leaves. Chamaecrista fasciculata is a member of the Fabaceae, or pea, 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 fiber”, referencing the sensitivity of the leaflets that often fold together when touched.