All flowers
Desert Senna Wikimedia Commons
Fabaceae

Desert Senna

Senna armata

Cleansing and renewal.

Family
Fabaceae
Genus
Senna
Native to
Southwestern United States, Northern Mexico
Bloom season
Spring, Early Summer
Type
Shrub
Height
0.6-1.5 meters
Sunlight
Full sun
Soil
Sandy, rocky, well-drained
Water
Low
Hardiness
8-11
Lifespan
Perennial

Did you know

  • Desert senna is nearly leafless, performing photosynthesis primarily through its green stems.
  • The plant produces conspicuous inflated seed pods that rattle in the wind when dry.
  • It serves as a larval host plant for the cloudless sulphur butterfly.
  • The Cahuilla people made a tea from the leaves as a digestive remedy.
  • Its bright yellow flowers attract a wide variety of native desert bees.

Color meanings

0

Purification

1

Health

2

Renewal

Uses

  • Traditional medicine
  • Butterfly gardens
  • Xeriscaping