Information about Senna covesii

1. * Coues’ Senna – Senna covesii (SEN-ah co-VEEZ-ee-eye )
Family: Fabaceae (Pea Family)
Native to: Sonoran Desert of California (San Diego, Imperial County, Riverside and San Bernardino
Counties), AZ, NV south to Baja; on dry, sandy desert washes, slopes from about 1,000 to 3,500 ft.
Growth characteristics: part-woody sub-shrub mature height: 2-6 ft. mature width: 2-4 ft.
Fast-growing, evergreen shrub from a woody base. Upright and mounded form; somewhat open
and lacy. Leaves are light green to almost white, pea-like, compound. Entire plant hairy.
Blooms/fruits: Blooms with rainfall, from spring through summer monsoons (Sept) in nature - off
and on with water in the garden. Flowers are 1 inch wide, with lemon-yellow petals (sometimes
veined in red). Sweetly scented - some say like bubblegum. Buzz-pollinated by large bees. Lovely
in bloom. Seeds in long pea-like pods. Seed pods pop open when dry like native lupines.
Uses in the garden: Most often used in desert-themed gardens, where it often is used as a filler
around large plants. Fine in large containers. Lovely massed. Excellent choice for habitat garden.
Sensible substitute for: Non-native Cassia/Senna species.
Attracts: Excellent habitat plant: attracts bumblebees and carpenter bees. Larval food plant for
Sleepy Orange and Cloudless Sulphur butterflies. Doves and others eat the seeds.
Requirements:
Element Requirement
Sun Full sun best for flowering; tolerates some shade.
Soil Most well-drained soils, even clays; any local pH.
Water Best with occasional summer water – Water Zone 1-2 to 2.
Fertilizer None needed, except in containers.
Other Inorganic or no mulch.
Management: Pretty easy. Prune out dead branches in fall. Will re-seed if happy.
Propagation: from seed: easy – fresh seed by cuttings: probably
Plant/seed sources (see list for source numbers): 6, 13, 16, 38 7/31/12
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