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Sensitive Partridge-pea

Chamaecrista nictitans

68
Strong

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
Up to about 1 foot
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Annual
Bloom
Summer and fall

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 57 Alabama counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

16CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Cassia

  • Phoebis sennaeCloudless Sulphur
  • Abaeis nicippeSleepy Orange, Sleepy Yellow, Erratic Orange
  • Amyelois transitellaNavel Orangeworm
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Choristoneura obsoletanaObsolete Leafroller
  • Colias eurythemeOrange Sulphur, Alfalfa Butterfly
  • Epargyreus clarusSilver-Spotted Skipper
  • Eumarozia malachitanaSculptured Moth
  • Eurema dairaBarred Yellow, Barred Sulphur
  • Lesmone detrahensDetracted Owlet
Show all 16
  • Platynota rostranaOmnivorous Platynota
  • Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
  • Pyrisitia lisaLittle Yellow, Little Sulphur, Lisa Yellow
  • Selenisa sueroidesTailpipes, Pale-Edged Selenisa Moth
  • Uresiphita reversalisGenista Caterpillar, Genista Cbroom Moth
  • Zale lunataLunate Zale
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
24BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Chamaecrista

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
2BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Chamaecrista

  • Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
  • Cyrtonyx montezumaeMontezuma Quail
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

2AntsRecorded seed interactions
  • Pogonomyrmex badius
  • Pogonomyrmex barbatus

Pogonomyrmex barbatus: Seed predation.

Pogonomyrmex badius: Seed predation.

No records yet · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Fabaceae
Soil pH
Acidic or alkaline
Flower color
Yellow

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Cassia nictitans; Common Sensitive Plant; Common Sensitiveplant; Sensitive Partridge Pea; Sensitive Partridgepea

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNR
Global rankG5
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources