Oahu riverhemp
Sesbania tomentosa · Fabaceae
Oahu riverhemp (Sesbania tomentosa) is a perennial shrub in the Fabaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 12 and warmer, down to about 50°F.
At a glance
| Type | shrub USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 2 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 6–8 USDA |
| Flower color | Red USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 12 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | shrub Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It grows in partial shade. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated high. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 6 to 8 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 12.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 2 ft, making it about knee height. It grows at a moderate rate.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, fine in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its fruit or seed heads are conspicuous, extending interest past flowering. Its active growth period is year round. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 20 to 40 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 365 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 18 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Propagate it from bare root and container stock. Its seed spreads at a slow rate. It does not spread vegetatively, so it will stay where you put it.
Resilience and wildlife
Its fire tolerance is rated medium, and it can resprout after damage. Its growth form is recorded as single stem.
Role in a guild
Shrub layer. In a layered planting this is woody mid-level structure between the understory and the ground. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Sesbania
- sesbania Sesbania cannabina
- vegetable hummingbird Sesbania grandiflora
Similar role and hardiness
- Hawai'ian cotton Gossypium tomentosum
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol SETO3, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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