Illinois Bundleflower

Scientific name: Desmanthus illinoensis  

Short Description: Illinois bundleflower is a native warm-season perennial leguminous forb with a unique fern-like appearance.            

Description:   Illinois bundleflower is a native warm-season perennial leguminous forb adapted to the central and eastern regions of the United States extending from Mexico into Canada.  Illinois bundleflower is found in prairie remnants, sloughs, woodland edges, or disturbed areas.  It does best on medium textured soils, but will grow on a wide range of soills with an annual rainfall range of 16 to 32 inches. The seeds are readily consumed by upland game birds and the plant is highly palatable livestock and deer. Illinois bundleflower is an attractive plant in the landscape because of its unique fern appearance and the closing and opening of the leaves in response to sunlight and heat.   

 

Plant Taxonomy of Illinois Bundleflower 

Kingdom	Plantae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta
Superdivision	Spermatophyta
Division	Magnoliophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Subclass	Asteridae
Order	Asterales
Family	Asteraceae
Genus	Desmanthus
Species	Desmanthus illinoensis

Plant Characteristics of Illinois Bundleflower

Height	18 to 48 inches
Growth habit	multiple stems from a central crown Bloom color
Bloom color	white globe shaped flowers
Bloom period	late spring and early summer
Sun requirement	full sun
Leaf foilage color	green fern-like appearance
Seeds per pound	85,000
Minimum soil temperature for germination	65 ºF
Soil pH range	5.5 to 8.0
Planting Rate	4 oz/1000 or 10 lbs/acre
Planting Depth	½ inch
Planting season	scarified seed: spring; unscarified seed: fall

*Special considerations for spring planting:  seed germination can be improved with mechanical scarification.  Seed needs to be inoculated with Rhizobium for nitrogen fixation to occur. Germination of scarified seed generally occurs within 2 weeks after planting provided adequate soil moisture and temperature conditions are met.  

Uses of Illinois Bundleflower

Landscape:  attractive in mass plantings as well as in species mixes

Wildlife: seed is a food source; insect attractant and cover for game birds

Livestock: highly palatable and nutritious legume

Commercially Available Cultivars of Illinois Bundleflower

'Sabine' (released by USDA-NRCS, Knox City Plant Material Center, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station.)

'Reno' germplasm (released by the USDA-NRCS, Manhattan Plant Material Center in Manhattan, KS)