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Blue Ridge Golden-banner

Thermopsis villosa

Found in floodplains, moist disturbed areas, woodland edges, roadbanks. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

35
Good

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

Profile 94%

Height
3–5 feet
Spread
1–3 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist

Space about 2 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 25 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Bloom
May to June
Fruiting season
July to September

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 2 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 3

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.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 127 animals.

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

4CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Thermopsis

  • Colias eurythemeOrange Sulphur, Alfalfa Butterfly
  • Colias philodiceClouded Sulphur, Clover Butterfly
  • Gesta baptisiaeWild Indigo Duskywing, Baptisia Duskywing
  • Glaucopsyche lygdamusSilvery Blue
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
4BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Thermopsis

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

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

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Fabaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
Cream or yellow
Fruit begins
July
Fruit ends
September

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

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “May to June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Flower color · “Cream or yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
  • Fruit begins · “July” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Fruit ends · “September” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Hardiness · “Zones 4a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Height · “3–5 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
  • Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differ)
  • Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards differs)
  • Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Spread · “1–3 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Also known as

Aarons Rod Golden Banner; Blue Ridge Golden Banner; Carolina lupin; Carolina lupine

Conservation status

Alabama rankNot available
Global rankG3?
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