Partridge Pea

Insects

The partridge pea serves as the host for larvae of the little sulfur or little yellow butterfly and the similar cloudless sulfur butterfly. It serves as a more general food source for many other native insects like adult monarch butterflies, ants, and spiders. 

Birds

The partridge pea can also be eaten by native birds! These include but are not limited to: the eastern meadow lark, the eastern mourning dove, and eastern turkey.

The sensitive partridge pea spreads very fast and grows annually, so it is not difficult to find! It grows in most sunny, temperate places without too much tree coverage. Sensitive partridge pea can be found throughout the eastern and mid-western United States, Canada, and Mexico. They bloom from July-September with bright yellow flowers, round alternating leaves, and a pea-like fruit hanging from the stem. It is not to be confused with the showy partridge pea, a near-identical native plant that is less sensitive to the touch, or the crown vetch, another pea-bearing plant native to Europe.