Perennial Soybean
Neonotonia wightii
- Native to:
- Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, DR Congo, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Gulf of Guinea Is., India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Forestowlet
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Neonotonia
- Species:
- Neonotonia wightii
- USDA Symbol:
- NEWI2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb , Vine
- Height:
- 300 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep,oct
- Bloom Colors:
- purple, white
- Ground Cover:
- Yes
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, livestock forage
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from root crown after fire or cutting; commonly used in fire-prone tropical pasture systems.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- fertile, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers soils with good organic content
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Hard seed coat requires scarification for best germination. Inoculation with appropriate Bradyrhizobium improves establishment.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI