Patridge Pea

Scientific name:  Chamaecrista fasciculate (Michx.) Greene   

 

Short Description: Partridge Pea is an annual legume with bright yellow flowers and a excellent food source for a variety of birds.  

Description: Partridge Pea is an annual erect legume adapted to a wide geographic area from Maine to Florida, west to South Dakota and Colorado, south through central Texas.  It does not compete well in established grasslands but thrives in disturbed areas with an annual rainfall of 15 to 45 inches. Partridge pea grows on a wide range of soils but does best on neutral well drained sites. Partridge pea produces pods with multiple flat black seeds which open up and shatter the seed when mature.  It is a prolific seed producer and can become invasive after a few years.  

Taxonomy of Partridge Pea

Kingdom	Plantae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta
Superdivision	Spermatophyta
Division	Magnoliophyta
Class	Magnoliopsida
Subclass	Asteridae
Order	Asterales
Family	Asteraceae
Genus	Chamaecrista
Species	fasciculata (Michx.) Greene

                                                          

Plant Characteristics of Partridge Pea

Height	16 to 48 inches
Growth habit	stems erect and branching
Bloom color	bright yellow flowers one-inch wide in clusters of 2 to 7
Bloom period	mid summer to early fall
Sun requirement	full sun color
Leaf foilage	green with 12 to 36 linear leaflet pairs
Seeds per pound	65,000
Minimum soil temperature for germination	55  ºF
Soil pH range	5.5 to 7.5
Planting Rate	3.5 oz/1000 sq ft or 10 lbs/acre
Planting Depth	¼ to ¾ 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 (EL-cowpea type) 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 Partridge Pea

Landscape:  attractive in mass plantings as well as in species mixes, fairly aggressive

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

Erosion control: when combined with grasses, forbs, and legumes

Commercially Available Cultivars of Partridge Pea

'Commanche' (released by James E. "Bud" Smith Plant Materials Center, Knox City, TX)

'Riley' (released by the Manhattan Plant Material Center, Manhattan, KS)