FNPS Plant Database

Senna mexicana var. chapmanii

Chapman's sensitive plant, Bahama senna
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Beverly Frieidel, Palm Beach Chapter

Nomenclature

Common Name:

Chapman's sensitive plant, Bahama senna

Synonym(s):

Cassia chapmanii

Genus species:

Senna mexicana var. chapmanii

Family:

Fabaceae (Leguminosae)

Plant Specifics

Form:

Shrub

Size:

2–4 ft tall by 3–6 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

yellow

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

Evergreen but goes semi-dormant in drought or cold. Blooms all year in south Florida. Typically lives 3-5 years

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen shrub. Can be a border plant or planted in a mass.

Considerations:

Availability:

Native Nurseries, Seed

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Full Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Usually moist, occasional inundation -to- Short very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Lime Rock

Soil pH:

Calcareous (high pH)

Suitable to Grow In:

10A,10B,11

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
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No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Caterpillars

Larval host plant for cloudless sulphur (Phoebis sennae), sleepy orange (Eurema nicippi) and the introduced orange-barred sulphur (Phoebis philea) butterflies. A gland at the base of the leaves attracts ants that attack the butterfly caterpillars (IRC) Sennas attract butterflies, solitary bees including sweat bees and bumble bees, as pollinators.

Native Habitats:

Pine rocklands, rocky hammocks, dunes. Typically in sunny areas

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Listed as Threatened in Florida by the FDACS.
FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Gann, G.D, C.J. Abbott, C.G. Stocking, K.N. Hines, and collaborators. (2001+). Bahama senna, Chapman's wild sensitive plant [in] Natives For Your Neighborhood. ( https://www.regionalconservation.org/beta/nfyn/plantdetail.asp?tx=Sennmexichap ). Accessed 2026. The Institute for Regional Conservation. Delray Beach, FL.


Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


Hammer, Roger. (2015). Attracting Hummingbirds and Butterflies in Tropical Florida. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Minno, Marc, and Maria Minno. (1999). Florida Butterfly Gardening: A Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Butterflies. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Traas, Pamela. (2001). Gardening for Florida's Butterflies. Great Outdoors Publishing Co, St. Petersburg, FL.


Wunderlin, R. P, B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.

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