sesbania
Sesbania cannabina · Fabaceae
sesbania (Sesbania cannabina) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Fabaceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 11 and warmer, down to about 40°F.
At a glance
| Type | forb-herb Derived |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 3 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 5.8–8.5 USDA |
| Flower color | Yellow USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 11 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | nutrient Derived |
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. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It handles periodically wet ground (USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance medium). It is recorded on soils from pH 5.8 to 8.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 11.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 3 ft, making it roughly waist to chest height. It grows quickly.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, fine in texture. Its flowers are not conspicuous — a plant for form and foliage.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 21 to 88 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 365 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 12 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Seed is the only propagation method USDA lists. Division and cuttings are not listed as options. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant.
Role in a guild
Nutrient layer. In a layered planting this is it contributes to soil fertility rather than to structure. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Sesbania
- vegetable hummingbird Sesbania grandiflora
- Oahu riverhemp Sesbania tomentosa
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol SECA23, 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: browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer, Type.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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