Deering partridge pea
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Chamaecrista deeringiana
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Fabaceae
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Landscape Uses:
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Primarily recommended for natural landscapes and habitat restorations. Also wildflower and butterfly gardens. |
Ecological Restoration Notes: |
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It can be used as one of many understory herbs in pine rocklands. |
Availability: |
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Grown by enthusiasts. |
Description: |
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Medium perennial herbaceous wildflower. |
Height: |
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Typically 1-3 feet in height. Sometimes as tall as broad, but often spreading. |
Growth Rate: |
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Moderate. |
Range: |
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Southeastern United States south to the Monroe County Keys. Very rare in South Florida outside of Miami-Dade County. Perhaps never present or exirpated in Broward County. Presumed extirpated in the Monroe County Keys where collected once on Big Pine Keys in 1912. |
Habitats: |
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Pine rocklands. |
Soils: |
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Moist, well-drained limestone or sandy soils, without humus. |
Nutritional Requirements: |
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Low; it grows in nutrient poor soils. |
Salt Water Tolerance: |
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Low; does not tolerate long-term flooding by salt or brackish water. |
Salt Wind Tolerance: |
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Moderate; grows near salt water, but is protected from direct salt spray by other vegetation. |
Drought Tolerance: |
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High; does not require any supplemental water once established. |
Light Requirements: |
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Full sun. |
Flower Color: |
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Yellow petals; red anthers. |
Flower Characteristics: |
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Showy. |
Flowering Season: |
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All year. |
Fruit: |
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Inconspicuous pod (legume). |
Wildlife and Ecology: |
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Provides food for birds. Larval host plant for cloudless sulphur (Phoebis sennae) butterflies. Likely attracts bee pollinators.
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Horticultural Notes: |
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Can be grown from seed. Plant in a pot with 2" or more of potting soil and spinkle soil over seeds to just cover them. Place in full sun or light shade. Keep moist. |
Comments: |
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Distinguished from the annual partridge pea (C. fasciculata) by its red (vs. yellow) anthers. |
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James Johnson, 2014 In habitat, Everglades National Park, Florida Expand
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George D. Gann, 2015 In habitat, Long Pine Key, Everglades National Park, Florida
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George D. Gann, 2015 In habitat, Long Pine Key, Everglades National Park, Florida
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