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plants

Useful? Partridge Pea.

Posts: 16

Location: Richmond, VA

posted 12 years ago

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I'm a bit new to this. Just bought 5 acres of what is mostly grass, weeds, etc. I intend to put some sheep here eventually, but I'm not there yet.

Anyways, I found the attached growing in an area I was going to mow. I think it's sensitive-joint vetch... Looking at pics online. Am I right?

If its useful, Ill move it somewhere that it won't get mowed so it can multiply

image.jpg

John Elliott

pollinator

Posts: 2392

105

posted 12 years ago

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Looks to me like Albizia julibrissin, which is considered an invasive. I have a large one in the back yard, and have a few sprouts like the one in the picture in the front yard. I'll bet the sheep would mow it down, goats definitely would. If you are doing the mowing, go ahead and buzz it, because there are probably plenty more seeds where it came from.

Rich Conley

Posts: 16

Location: Richmond, VA

posted 12 years ago

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Thanks John, I'm not sure thats right though.

It's tough to see in the pictures, but the yellowish things on some of the internodes are flowers/flowerbuds. The leaves certainly look similar (although I'm not sure of the scale), but Albizia julibrissin seems to have clusters of large thread-like flowers, and this has single flowers.

I'll try to take a better picture when I get off work.

John Elliott

pollinator

Posts: 2392

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posted 12 years ago

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OK Rich, you made me go check the weed in front and it is indeed different from the mimosa tree in back and it's exactly like the one in your picture. The weed has smaller leaves (although otherwise they are very similar) and the tree is past flowering and is now in the pod filling stage. Now I'm really curious to find out what we have here.

Rich Conley

Posts: 16

Location: Richmond, VA

posted 12 years ago

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My first thought when I was googling was "Sensitive joint-vetch", which it looks a lot like, but now I don't think so, because

1. I don't live in a Salt Marsh, although the field does stay a bit wet with all the clay
2. You shouldn't have it in Georgia.
3. Sensitive Joint-vetch gets about 6 feet tall

I do think its in the same genus (Aeschynomene) as the Sensitive Joint-Vetch though.

wayne stephen

steward

Posts: 1748

Location: Western Kentucky-Climate Unpredictable Zone 6b

115

posted 12 years ago

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Cassia chamaechrista .

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R Scott

pollinator

Posts: 4146

Location: Kansas Zone 6a

328

posted 12 years ago

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I think Wayne gets the prize. http://ninnescahlife.wichita.edu/node/553

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." --Mahatma Gandhi
"Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words." --Francis of Assisi.
"Family farms work when the whole family works the farm." -- Adam Klaus

Rich Conley

Posts: 16

Location: Richmond, VA

posted 12 years ago

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Thanks Wayne ( and R Scott, and everyone else), that looks pretty close.

Found this: http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_chfa2.pdf

Partridge pea is considered an excellent
species for planting on disturbed areas for erosion
control and improving soil fertility. It establishes
rapidly, fixes nitrogen, reseeds, and slowly decreases
as other species in the seeding mix begin to dominate
the site. Nitrogen fixation is greatest during the
flowering stage

Sounds like Cattle can get sick if they eat lots of it. Anyone know if it bothers sheep or ducks (Have ducks, wife wants sheep)? Other than that, it sounds like a great cover crop.

wayne stephen

steward

Posts: 1748

Location: Western Kentucky-Climate Unpredictable Zone 6b

115

posted 12 years ago

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We have had a very wet summer here and I noticed these popping up in a freinds pasture . Looks like a great bee plant and maybe goat / chicken fodder.

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