Complete Guide to Partridge Pea, Chamaecrista fasciculata

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This is a comprehensive video on how to Grow Partridge Pea. Topics covered include:
- What is Partridge Pea?
- Benefits of Partridge Pea
- Partridge Pea growing conditions and care
- How to germinate Partridge Pea seed
- Wildlife attracted to Partridge Pea
- Garden Uses of Partridge Pea.
The Partridge Pea is an Annual Wildflower native to North America that looks great when planted in mass. One of the BEST plants for bees, growing a colony of Partridge Pea will ensure you hear near-constant buzzing of happy bees gathering nectar and pollen.
In addition to pollinators, the Partridge Pea is one of the best plants for attracting game birds such as Turkey, Quail, Grouse, as well as deer. It is often a component of food plots, and the numerous seeds produce make it easy to see it's wildlife value.
Helpful External Links!
Article - Complete Guide to Partridge Pea
growitbuildit.com/partridge-p...
Winter Sowing Guide - the easiest way to start these seeds...
growitbuildit.com/illustrated...
• How to Winter Sow Seed...
How to test your soil drainage - • How to Test Soil Drainage
10% OFF your orders from Prairie Restorations, Inc. Use code: GROWIT10. They now ship plants, in addition to seeds. zurl.to/QGlX (affiliate link)
Amazon link to seed (affiliate link):
amzn.to/3qt196O
How to Cold Moist Stratify seeds in the Refrigerator
growitbuildit.com/seed-strati...
Complete Guide to Winter Sowing
growitbuildit.com/illustrated...
LIQUID FENCE! - It really works at keeping deer/rabbits away. Just follow the instructions to the letter. (affiliate link)
amzn.to/3kL8p8n
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[@brigittebilodeau8579]

Thank you to highlight this annual ! Washington PA , I received a free pack from Prairie Moon nursery 3 years ago , it grew successfully in my garden . It never truly reseed itself like you mentioned in your video , probably because I never had many plants to begin with and I have a lot of mourning dove around . After watching your video I rushed outside to see if my only two plants had seed pods left on it !!! Thank god I only had 1 seed pod left on the plants. I am going to cold stratify and make sure I have a few plants next summer . Having a few plants might not become a problem if you have many birds , in my native garden it’s never been an issue. hopefully people won’t be afraid to plant it . Thanks great I formations . I also belong in your Facebook group !

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Brigitte! I'm happy to see you here too as well as the group. Good luck with your seed pod! It doesn't take many plants to make a lifetime supply of seed!

[@joanp105]

Thanks for the video and new info. Never heard of this Partridge Pea before. Pretty plant too.

[@growitbuildit]

I've found it to be one of the more curious plants that I grow. And I guess you could say it is quite noisy too!

[@ThistleKing]

I love native legumes like this. These grow like crazy in roadside ditches around where I live so I harvested some seed last fall to throw into my garden.

[@growitbuildit]

They are awesome little flowers. It's crazy how noisy the bumblebees are on this one!

[@jeffburke170]

Seeds arrived today, thanks for your recommendation and advice, Joe. Will replace cerastium.

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent - good luck Jeff!

[@bluebowser3121]

It's leaves look just like that of a sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica).

[@growitbuildit]

You are exactly correct -they really do look similar.

[@jwhite5396]

Thanks!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome J

[@LS-kg6my]

Excellent KZbin channel!!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you so much!

[@bobsilverman7470]

I’m really enjoying your videos!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Bob! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@bertiedann1185]

Thanks

[@growitbuildit]

You are welcome Bertie

[@johnbarrett1581]

Very informative. Thank you.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you John - glad it was helpful

[@elizabethquinn5068]

Wonderful .. thank you 🙏🏻

[@growitbuildit]

You are welcome - I'm very happy you enjoyed it.

[@adriansun2999]

Good one.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you - glad you enjoyed it!

[@TheGreatCrow]

I put some seeds in the fridge today! Can’t wait to see this grow!!

[@growitbuildit]

You're going to love them. They are really cool flowers.

[@thomasmurphy4701]

Thank you it looks good

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Thomas!

[@abbysbud1]

THANK YOU so much!!! I finally know what it is!! Appreciate your videos!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Betsy!

[@sueshaw6609]

I love these super helpful videos! Thank you for your hard work‼️

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Sue! I'm happy you are enjoying them. Tell all your friends!

[@turtlewoman]

The flower reminds me of a Nasturtium a bit. Neat video! Thanks for the share!

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Turtle Woman! This is a great plant to grow - if you have an area suitable for it.

[@bubblesmckenzie4125]

Beautiful flower, I will have to try. Excellent commentary. 👀👍❤️

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you McKenzie! It is a great flower.

[@ldsmith2361]

Thank you! God bless just found your channel and love it! Your wild flower garden is gorgeous 😍😍😍☺️🙏🏾

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you LD! I'm glad you are enjoying our videos. And thank you for the kind words! We love our wildflower garden/meadow/prairie.

[@Talz1803]

Great video, thanks.

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you! Interesting handle you've got there.

[@Talz1803]

@@growitbuildit I was constantly battling them as a landscaper. Individually they're not very tenacious. But they're so prolific and fast growing that they still keep you on your toes. They remind me of the little guy who always gets knocked down but eventually wins through sheer persistence. I dunno, maybe it's cheesy. But I found them quite inspiring 😁

[@growitbuildit]

I find them to be just as prolific as you do. Cool story behind your name!

[@thealternative9580]

I grow sensitive pea a close relative as a butterfly host plant. It's a host plant for cloudless sulphur, sleepy orange, little yellow, gray hairstreak, and a possible host for eastern tailed blue butterflies. Great plant for an annual bed of self seeders or in a weedy mix with other annual wildflowers in a back border or out of the corner of the garden.

[@ThumperSillywabbit]

You have great detailed videos. Thank you.Do you have anything for desert eg Tucson, AZ. Thanks.

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Thumper - I'm afraid I don't have anything specific to Tucson, as I'm in the Mid-Atlantic. But you live in a lovely part of the country! Loved Chiva Falls.

[@andrewgin9658]

My microprairie is coming up and I've already seen at least two of these!

[@growitbuildit]

Excellent Andrew! The party should begin in about a month!

[@maheshmali7310]

nice video bro... please make video on "Complete Guide and care, propagation, seed collection of Cosmos Bipinnatus" plant...please

[@evergreen8965]

I saw the leaf in a different video of yours. Nice profile video…

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you - I was asked about that 'leaf' frequently, so I figured I should make this!

[@staceygianoplos6381]

Best video on patridge pea that I have seen!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Stacey! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@staceygianoplos6381]

@Growit Buildit Is your little back yard prairie full sun, or partial shade? It almost looks like partial shade in your videos...

[@growitbuildit]

It's full sun. It does get shade in late afternoon.

[@staceygianoplos6381]

I do have just a couple more inquiries. How far apart do you plant these? And, do you ever plant these in clusters?

[@growitbuildit]

You could probably space them 12-18 inches. Clusters would be ok, but they would be shorter. They do branch, so 6" would probably make for a thick cover.

[@joannesmith1287]

Thank you for a very informative video. For purposes of a plant sale, would you recommend potting up clumps, allowing them to die back and reseed in pot and in the spring offer plant for sale. I am going to contain the pots in a boxed netted area. Also, what is the blue plant in the footage (9 min in) with the deer?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Joanne, that could work. You could also just collect/sow seeds in pots in October. The only concern I would have is making sure the soil on the pots stays moist, as you need the freeze thaw cycle to break that shell. And the plant at 900 is Hairy Beardtongue. A beautiful landscape friendly Penstemon. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXLQgJKlasuXo9E

[@weizi7840]

What a wonderful program for me to learn. I would like to know what’s the other colorful wildflowers you mix with partridge pea?

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Weizi - I've got videos on most of the other flowers you saw in this one. Check out my 'native plant profiles' playlist, as they are all there. But Butterfly Weed, Bee Balm, and Wild Bergamot are a few you probably noticed.

[@monkeygraborange]

Anything that actually _attracts_ deer, turkey and rabbits is a no-go for me, pretty as this plant is!

[@growitbuildit]

That's too bad - this one really brings in the bees.

[@andrew7637]

You could test it out and see if it would be a distraction to mammals away from your other plants.

[@andyhudgins9443]

Now I've got to get this plant. Great. All kiddin' aside, did I spy Silene regia in this post? I have seed of it in the fridge now. Great video!

[@growitbuildit]

Thank you Andy - good luck getting started with the Partridge Pea. It's a wonderful flower.

[@royalizetheplantman]

You keep adding plants to My wishlist, shame on you! Just kidding. I love your videos, keep up the good work. Sadly, It seems its hard to get this plant in EU. But I will keep looking. Ty for great content.

[@growitbuildit]

You are very welcome Plant Man! I hope you are able to locate some seed. I have never seen or heard of this plant being sold in regular garden centers. The self-seeding would probably upset a few unsuspecting customers.

[@808chevykev]

At my job yard,there are bunch of areas that have sand and soil combinations and these plants are everywhere! I got curious to know what they were,so I snapped a picture and let Google Lens do the rest. I'm considering harvesting some pods when it's time and start a prairie bed with them along with some cone flowersin the spring.

[@growitbuildit]

They make a nice pairing, and these are really fun for watching scores of bees buzzing about. You may want to investigate if there are any native Penstemon in your area. Those bloom before both Coneflower and Partridge Pea, and are also quite popular with bees.

[@terricoignet2932]

The leaves and seed pods remind me of Bird of Paradise, I wonder if they're related

[@growitbuildit]

I had to look that plant up Terri. From what I can see, they are of a different genus. But you are correct, the leaves look very similar. The scientific name I found for Bird of Paradise is Caesalpinia mexicana.

[@sphillips6357]

Hi, which link is to your video on how to determine if your soil drains well? The top 5 or 6 inches of my soil is gravely and white like someone added cement to it in the past and it doesn't drain at all. It's so hard that I actually had to bring in a back hoe just to dig some holes for some small arborvitae. Once the top 6 inches are penetrated, it appears like normal soil below that white layer and that soil drains ok, I believe. With a wood chip mulch, do you think the Partridge Peas would eventually be able to break up my top white soil layer? And what are the purple flowers you show at 9:05 in front of the deer?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi - sorry, I must of forgot to put the link. Here is the video - kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5-pd6tuqNeFi9U It sounds like you've got a tough situation with your soil. But Partridge Pea would help break up the soil overtime. The taproot isn't that long, but since the plant dies each year those taproots break down and add organic matter to your soil, which can both help water holding capacity and drainage. That combined with thick layers of mulch can help as well. I've used thick layers of leaf mulch to vastly improve my garden soil year over year. And that purple flower is Hairy Beardtongue (penstemon hirsutus). A perennial, but quite short. Probably one of the most 'residential friendly' native plants. Here is a video on it - kzbin.info/www/bejne/eXLQgJKlasuXo9E

[@tracyguillemette6255]

Thank you for this vid. I bought an ounce of this seed and was thinking of just broadcasting, but do I have to scarify if I'm broadcasting in the winter?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Tracy - if you are confident you will get good freeze/thaw cycles then it is probably fine. It naturally gets scarified w/ the freezing and thawing.

[@tracyguillemette6255]

@@growitbuildit here in CT we should have more freeze/thaws to come. I put some in pots and in several places in the meadow, I'm so excited!

[@gary5172]

Growit--I'm having problems finding the right soil for starting seedlings for Maximilian sunflower, Black-Eyed Susan, and Spotted Bee Balm. Whenever the sprouts are a few days old they wilt and rot away. I think there are no nutrition in the starting mix at box stores. What are your suggestions soils I can buy and other ideas on keeping these seedlings alive?

[@growitbuildit]

Gary - are they just kind of flopping over?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Gary - thought I would let you know so I don't forget - I often use ProMix for starting seeds, but have used regular potting soil and the miracle grow kind. I've not had any issues with any of them. But what has been a problem before was damp-off disease. That is where the seedlings are sitting in very moist soil for too long. A fungus develops and weakens the stem, causing the seedling to flop over and die. The remedy for this has been to grow seedlings in location with morning sun and afternoon shade, and only water in the morning. That way when the sun goes away the surface of the potting soil isn't very moist. If you are starting seeds inside, some remedies you can try is to sprinkle the top layer with vermiculite, sphagnum peat moss, or sand to keep fungus at bay. Also, try to ensure there is air flow so that the top soil dries out. And finally, if you can, water form the bottom for further protection.

[@joanp105]

Do honeybees feed on this or only bumblebees?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Joan - honeybees will feed as well.

[@nexingtoncaldwell6381]

I have a plant with these leaves that grows wild in my yard. When I tried to look it up mimosa comes up. Do you happen to know the difference. I let one grow and it grew like a tree.

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Nexington - these are completely different species! Mimosa is invasive in USA, and non-native.

[@gardenworm9866]

Can I just buy seeds and plant them straight into the ground this fall .. withOUT scarification?? Or must they be scarified??? I'm thinking that naturally, the seeds just fall (shoot) onto the ground,,and are not scarified....so would I need to?? Thank you in advance for your help. ~Deb

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Deb - yes, you can do exactly as you describe. The freeze/thaw cycles will accomplish the scarification/stratification.

[@samlandry6046]

Kalaya here - I am having a difficult time deciding when to pick the pods. Some are turning brown but feel soft to the touch. I pick the pods off when I can feel it dry and hear the seeds. Can I just pick the pods once they turn a light brown? It’s my favorite of all plants because of the bumble bees. I love watching them buzz pollinate the flowers. I have it growing in a raised bed hopefully it won’t get out of hand. 😅

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Kalaya - If you have lots of pods to choose from, try one that is brown and peel it back. Or, if you see them splitting open on their own, you can start to take them. I would not pick green ones. But ones that are fully brown are probably ok. BTW - this will self seed no matter what! So, you will be able to transplant seedlings to other locations next Spring if you want to spread it around.

[@samlandry6046]

@@growitbuildit Excellent point! Why didn’t I think of that? Thank you so much!!! Love your videos. Kalaya

[@emilianonevarez5372]

Can you put horse and chicken manure in compost or do you just use it separately

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Emiliano - you can use manures as your green material in compost. Just make sure you get it hot enough to kill any pathogens in the manure. Search the USDA website for some guidelines on time/temperature required to kill salmonella, etc.

[@emilianonevarez5372]

@@growitbuildit ok thank you so much

[@gailprice8473]

These plants are recommended by the University of Florida to attract pollinating wasps that use mole crickets as hosts for their eggs/larvae. Mole crickets quickly kill lawns. Use these flowers instead of pesticides.

[@amiehorner5132]

If you pinch off the seed pods before they mature you can prevent many new plants in unwanted locations .

[@growitbuildit]

You are 100% correct. And I tried to do that the first year I grew the plant...but I did not get to all of them.

[@amiehorner5132]

@@growitbuildit 😂🤣🤣🤣 They say " Life will find a way ."

[@hallinasjournal7795]

Is it possible for the partridge pea seeds to germinate if you don’t scarify them? Well a percentage still germinate?

[@growitbuildit]

Hi Hallina - I have not tried sowing in warm temperature without scarification. It would probably work, but take a long time due to the hard shell (possibly months). If seed is just scattered in Winter, a lot will germinate in Spring from the freeze thaw cycles.

[@hallinasjournal7795]

Hi it ended up germinating fine! Almost all the seeds came up 😄 They’ve been blooming for weeks now

[@michellel564]

I thought it was a pmimosa tree, a baby one.

[@growitbuildit]

It looks very similar.

[@LaconicMind]

Deer drive me nuts. They always eat my tomato plants. Otherwise, I would grow this.

[@growitbuildit]

The deer are going to be there regardless of this plant! You need to try liquid fence. You can spray the leaves of the tomato plant, and around the plant, and the deer will leave it alone. You have to keep up with it weekly, but it really works. This is the stuff - amzn.to/3kL8p8n

[@Machiones]

You can easily duplicate your channel on Odysee, the crypto youtube!