Senna mexicana var. chapmanii
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Chapman's Sensitive Plant, Bahama Senna
Fabaceae (Leguminosae)
Also known as Cassia chapmanii
Plant Specifics
| Form: | Shrub | |
| Size: | 2-4 ft tall by 3-6 ft wide | |
| Life Span: | Short-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. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Propagation: | Seed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Availability: | Native nurseries, Seed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light: | Full Sun, Part Shade | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: |
always floodedextremely dry |
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| (Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Short very dry periods) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Moisture Tolerance: | Usually moist, occasional inundation ----- to ----- Short very dry periods | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Water Flooding Tolerance: | Not salt tolerant of inundation by salty or brackish water. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Salt Spray/ Salty Soil Tolerance: | Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray. Exposure to salt spray would be uncommon (major storms). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil or other substrate: | Lime rock, Sand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Soil pH: | Calcareous (high pH) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ecology
| Wildlife: |
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| Insects: | 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. |
Distribution and Planting Zones
Natural Range in Florida
USDA Zones
Suitable to grow in:
10A 10B 11
USDA zones are based on minimum winter temperatures
Comments
| General Comments: | Listed as Threatened in Florida by the FDACS. |