Sidebeak Pencil-flower

Stylosanthes biflora

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in longleaf pine sandhills, dry to moist (but not wet) pine savannas and flatwoods, dry forests, woodlands, woodland borders, glades, barrens, rock outcrops. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

31

Good

Native to Louisiana (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height: Up to about 2 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

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Stylosanthes biflora — whole photograph — (c) Laura Clark, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

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

JFMAMJJASOND

Not yet recorded · Spread · Leaves

Recorded in 36 Louisiana parishes.

Natural habitats

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

1 of 7

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

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

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.

Forests and woodlands

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

Forest edges and thickets

Borders of forests, clearings and shrubby thickets.

Cliffs, ledges and rocky summits

Cliffs, ledges, rock outcrops, talus and rocky summits where the source does not name the rock. A named rock files the place under its own glade or outcrop type instead.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Louisiana. Shared habitat, not food. 67 animals.

Downy Woodpecker
Picoides pubescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Eurasian Collared-dove
Streptopelia decaocto
Birds. 1 shared habitat
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Fox Sparrow
Passerella iliaca
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Regulus satrapa
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Great-tailed Grackle
Quiscalus mexicanus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hairy Woodpecker
Picoides villosus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Magnificent Frigatebird
Fregata magnificens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Bobwhite
Colinus virginianus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Orange-crowned Warbler
Vermivora celata
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Pine Siskin
Carduelis pinus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Pine Warbler
Dendroica pinus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Prairie Warbler
Dendroica discolor
Birds. 1 shared habitat

All wildlife of Louisiana

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

4CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA

Genus host records with ranges including LA · 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

Bloom · “June to August” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Yellow or orange” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
Fruit begins · “July” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition · Carolinas and Georgia
Hardiness · “Zones 4a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “Up to about 2 feet” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
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
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Pencil Flower; Sidebeak Pencil flower

Conservation status

Louisiana rank	SNR
Global rank	G5
LA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources