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American Senna

Senna hebecarpa

Found in open wet habitats, moist forests. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

56
Strong

Native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
4–6 feet
Spread
3–4 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist

Space about 3.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 8 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
Summer
Fruiting season
August to November

Recorded in 7 West Virginia counties.

Natural habitats

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

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

13CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Cassia

  • Phoebis sennaeCloudless Sulphur
  • Abaeis nicippeSleepy Orange, Sleepy Yellow, Erratic Orange
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Choristoneura obsoletanaObsolete Leafroller
  • Colias eurythemeOrange Sulphur, Alfalfa Butterfly
  • Epargyreus clarusSilver-Spotted Skipper
  • Eumarozia malachitanaSculptured Moth
  • Lesmone detrahensDetracted Owlet
  • Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
  • Pyrisitia lisaLittle Yellow, Little Sulphur, Lisa Yellow
Show all 13
  • Trichordestra legitimaStriped Garden Caterpillar Moth
  • Uresiphita reversalisGenista Caterpillar, Genista Cbroom Moth
  • Zale lunataLunate Zale
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
7BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Senna

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 · Cassia

  • Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
  • Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow
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
Hardiness
Zones 4a–9b
Soil pH
Neutral
Flower color
Yellow or white
Fruit begins
August
Fruit ends
November

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

American Wild Senna; Cassia hebecarpa; Northern Wild Senna

Conservation status

West Virginia rankS5
Global rankG5
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources