American Senna
Senna hebecarpa
- Native to:
- Canada, United States
Cbaile19
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Senna
- Species:
- Senna hebecarpa
- USDA Symbol:
- SEHE3
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 180 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun,Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jul,aug,sep
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Common eastern (Bombus impatiens) Butterflies:Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae), Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- butterflies, bees
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers fertile soils in open areas
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Scarification by nicking or hot water treatment significantly improves germination. Seeds have hard seed coats requiring mechanical or chemical scarification.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: None required
Establishment: Seeds are harvested from existing populations within the Appalachian Plant Materials Center in southeastern West Virginia. The plant is common throughout the Eastern United States from Maine south to Georgia and westward to Illinois and Wisconsin.
Source: npn.rngr.net
ORGHPS Germination Guide: Sow @ 20C. Germinates within 3 months. Requires scarification. | Requires soaking 24-48 hrs; discard floaters.