Wild Senna
Senna hebecarpa
Six to eight feet of bold foliage and bright yellow midsummer bloom. Host plant for sulphur butterflies, worked constantly by bumblebees.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Sep 248 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Sep 258 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Sep 268 AM – 2 PM
A large, bold native for wet borders with sulphur butterfly hosting, bumblebee value, and the nitrogen-fixing roots that build soil over time.
Wild senna is the taller sibling of southern senna: it can reach 6–8 feet in rich, moist conditions, creating a substantial back-of-border presence with bold compound leaves and bright yellow flowers through midsummer. Like southern senna, it's a host plant for cloudless sulphur, orange sulphur, and sleepy orange butterflies, whose caterpillars feed exclusively on senna leaves. The clusters of yellow blooms are worked constantly by bumblebees buzzing to release pollen. It naturalizes in moist to wet areas along stream banks and woodland edges, spreading by seed to fill in over time. The large, persistent seed pods turn dark brown and stay on the stems through winter, adding structural interest when the garden is otherwise bare.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown wild senna propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 5–8 ft · 36–48 in wide
- Bloom time
- Midsummer, late summer
- Bloom color
- Yellow
- USDA zones
- 4–8
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Native range
- Eastern United States
Care notes for wild senna.
Full sun to part shade in moist to average, fertile soil. Best in moist conditions. tolerates occasional wet feet. Cut back in fall. Self-seeds; remove seedlings if needed. Nitrogen-fixing roots improve soil. May become quite tall in rich conditions; stake in windy exposures if needed.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside wild senna.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Skyline Drive Package
This package celebrates the world renowned “Skyline Drive” by featuring native plant species encountered along the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park.
Piedmont Rain Garden Package
For homeowners with a yard that floods when it rains, this package is your solution! The Piedmont Swale Garden Package is comprised of flood tolerant species that will thrive in wet soils.
Exceptional Patio Garden Package
The Exceptional Patio Garden Package is a low maintenance, fool proof way to guarantee an endless color show for you and your guests to enjoy all patio season long.