Senna marilandica (Maryland Senna) Unity Grown

Senna marilandica, commonly referred to as Maryland senna or wild senna, is a tall, shrubby perennial wildflower in the pea family (Fabaceae). Noted for its profuse set of buttery yellow pea-like flowers, Maryland senna is an excellent choice for wildflower meadows and pollinator gardens, as it attracts a great deal of pollinators including bees, beetles, flies, and butterflies. In addition, though its appearance is very similar to that of Senna hebecarpa, it can be identified by its seed pods, which stay closed through the fall, unlike those of wild senna; open wild senna seed pods serve to feed a number of ground birds through the summer and early fall, while closed seed pods preserve seeds through the late fall and into the winter for the same purpose.

Growing to a height of three to six feet, Maryland senna typically blooms in late summer, and makes an excellent addition to seasonal borders as well as meadows and pollinator gardens.