Partridge Pea is a slender-stemmed, native, annual wildflower. It grows one to three feet tall. Its inch to 1-1/2-inch-wide yellow flowers grow in a row along the main stem. Each flower is made of five teardrop-shaped petals with a dark reddish center. The two to three-inch alternate, compound leaves are made of 20 to 30 leaflets that are 1/2-inch-long. The leaflets fold together when touched. It enjoys dry, deep, sandy, well-drained soil.
It is a keystone species in many prairie and restoration landscapes. Its bright yellow blooms attract a wide array of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. But it is almost exclusively pollinated by long-tongued bees. Notably, it serves as a host plant for the cloudless sulphur, little yellow, and gray hair streak butterflies, supporting their life cycles from caterpillar to adult. The seeds are a valuable food source for birds like quail and other ground-feeding species, while its deep roots help break up compacted soil and improve water infiltration. As a legume, Partridge Pea fixes nitrogen in the soil, enhancing fertility for neighboring plants and making it a popular choice for cover cropping and land reclamation. Indigenous communities historically used it for medicinal purposes—the Cherokee brewed infusions for fainting spells and fatigue, while the Seminole used decoctions to ease nausea. Its leaves were applied as poultices for skin irritations and brewed into teas for rheumatism and digestive discomfort. Though modern research into its medicinal properties is still limited, its ecological significance remains significant. (SF)