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Thicket Bean

Phaseolus polystachios

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in thickets, woodlands, seemingly declining. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

70
Strong

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

Profile 94%

Height
About 8 feet in flower
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to average
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Bloom
July to October
Fruiting season
August to October

Not yet recorded · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves

Recorded in 23 Arkansas counties.

Natural habitats

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

1 of 2

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.

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

64CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR

Genus host records with ranges including AR · Phaseolus

  • Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
  • Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
  • Agrotis gladiariaSwordsman Dart, Clay-Backed Cut-Worm
  • Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
  • Agrotis malefidaRascal Dart, Pale-Sided Cut-Worm, Shagreened Cut-Worm
  • Agrotis vetustaOld Man Dart
  • Amyelois transitellaNavel Orangeworm
  • Amyna strictaEight-Spot Moth
  • Anagrapha falciferaCelery Looper Moth
  • Anarta trifoliiThe Nutmeg, Clover Cutworm
Show all 64
  • Anomis flavaTropical Anomis Moth
  • Anticarsia gemmatalisVelvetbean Caterpillar Moth
  • Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Cecropterus bathyllusSouthern Cloudywing
  • Cecropterus dorantesDorantes Longtail, Lilac-Banded Longtail
  • Cecropterus pyladesNorthern Cloudywing
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
  • Colias eurythemeOrange Sulphur, Alfalfa Butterfly
  • Cupido comyntasEastern Tailed-Blue
  • Dasylophia thyatiroidesGray-Patched Prominent
  • Dysodia oculatanaEyed Thyris
  • Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
  • Epargyreus clarusSilver-Spotted Skipper
  • Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
  • Euptoieta claudiaVariegated Fritillary, (?)Gulf Fritillary
  • Euxoa messoriaReaper Dart, Darksided Cutworm, Dark-Sided Cutworm
  • Feltia herilisMaster's Dart
  • Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
  • Feltia subgothicaSubgothic Dart
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • Gesta funeralisFunereal Duskywing
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
  • Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Leptotes marinaMarine Blue
  • Megalographa bilobaBilobed Looper Moth
  • Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
  • Mocis latipesSmall Mocis, Striped Grass Looper
  • Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
  • Ogdoconta cinereolaCommon Pinkband Groundling
  • Palthis asopialisFaint-Spotted Palthis
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
  • Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
  • Pyrrhia exprimensPurple-Lined Sallow, Purple-Lined Sun Moth
  • Rachiplusia ouGray Looper
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Spodoptera dolichosSweetpotato Armyworm, Dolichos Armyworm, Large Cotton Armyworm
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera latifasciaOrange-Striped Armyworm, Velvet Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
  • Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
  • Telegonus cellusGolden Banded-Skipper , Golden-Banded Skipper
  • Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
  • Trichordestra legitimaStriped Garden Caterpillar Moth
  • Udea rubigalisCelery Leaftier
  • Urbanus proteusLong-Tailed Skipper, Bean Leaf Roller
  • Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
  • Xylophanes tersaTersa Sphinx
  • Porphyrosela desmodiella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
7BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Phaseolus

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
3BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

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

  • Callipepla gambeliiGambel's Quail
  • Cyrtonyx montezumaeMontezuma Quail
  • Perdix perdixGray Partridge
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

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

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Fabaceae
Flower color
Pink
Fruit begins
August
Fruit ends
October

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Bean Vine; Wild Bean

Conservation status

Arkansas rankSNR
Global rankG5
AR statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources