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Sidebeak Pencil-flower

Stylosanthes biflora

Found in longleaf pine sandhills, dry to moist (but not wet) pine savannas and flatwoods, dry forests, woodlands, woodland borders, glades, barrens, rock outcrops. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

31
Good

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

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Height
Up to about 2 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
June to August
Fruiting season
July to October

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 61 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 7

Forests and woodlands

Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain.
Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Forest edges and thickets

Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields
Named place / source context. Shown: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Georgia and Tennessee; which part is not recorded, a neighboring state.Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields, Richard Schlecht, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Cliffs, ledges and rocky summits

Trees and rocks on Little Kennesaw Mountain.
Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trees and rocks on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Sandhills

Dry, deep-sand ridges with longleaf pine and turkey oak, kept open by fire.

Pine savannas

Open, fire-kept longleaf pine stands over grasses and wildflowers on wet to moist sandy soil.

Pine flatwoods

Flat, sandy Coastal Plain pine woodlands, wetter than sandhills and denser than savannas.

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

4CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Stylosanthes

  • Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
  • Eurema dairaBarred Yellow, Barred Sulphur
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Stegasta bosqueellaRed-Necked Peanutworm
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
1BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Stylosanthes

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
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
1AntsRecorded seed interactions
  • Pogonomyrmex badius

Pogonomyrmex badius: Seed predation.

Adult butterflies / moths 1
  • Eurema lisa

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Beetles · Flies · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Fabaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
Yellow or orange
Fruit begins
July
Fruit ends
October

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Pencil Flower; Sidebeak Pencil flower

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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How to check your spot

Sources