Nebraskaland

50 Nebraskaland • January-February 2026 I often include showy partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) in prairie and other planting mixes. This pioneering annual is inexpensive and usually establishes in the first year, adding bright color to the landscape while providing an early source of pollen for hungry insects. Its large, nutritious seeds are also a favorite of wildlife. Preferring sandy soils, partridge pea grows on dry shorelines, open woodlands, prairies and disturbed sites across the eastern half of Nebraska. As its name suggests, it has striking, bright yellow, pea- shaped flowers that bloom from July into September. These blooms are followed by flat, green pods that darken, twist and eventually spring open, tossing seeds several feet. The seeds usually germinate late the following spring, though many remain dormant in the soil for years. Partridge pea often thrives in the first few years of plantings but fades as perennial grasses and wildflowers take hold. Only scattered plants and seeds usually persist without management. Prescribed fire, haying or livestock grazing can rejuvenate stands by setting back competing perennials, exposing bare soil and letting sunlight reach the ground, stimulating germination and seedling growth. Fire, in particular, can produce especially lush stands, a bonanza for wildlife. Its heat helps break down the hard seed coat, while the nutrient-rich ash acts as a natural fertilizer. Deer browse the foliage in late summer and early fall, and pheasants, bobwhite quail, greater prairie-chickens, turkeys, mallards, songbirds and rodents all feed on the protein- and carbohydrate-rich seeds, which are low in fiber and easily digestible. Many pods stay closed and hang on the stems through winter, providing food during a stressful time when other seeds are buried beneath snow. Some landowners, especially in the South, are choosing to "go natural," planting partridge pea and other native legumes instead of corn, milo or alfalfa in wildlife food plots. Unlike crop food plots, partridge pea doesn't require annual planting — just occasional disturbance, like harrowing or light disking, to rejuvenate the plants. These plots with dense upper foliage over bare ground offer ideal brood-rearing cover for pheasant and quail chicks. Partridge pea also supports pollinators. Its flowers don't produce nectar to attract pollinators; instead, they have anthers of two colors. Yellow anthers produce reproductive pollen, while purple anthers produce "food pollen" that attract bumble bees, honeybees and other long-tongued bees that can access the pollen. Another clever ploy: Orange-red glands on its leaf stalks secrete nectar all summer, drawing sweet-toothed ants that patrol and protect their food source, as well as the plant from leaf-eating insects. If you want an inexpensive, easy-to-grow plant that supports wildlife and pollinators, partridge pea is hard to beat. N Showy Partridge Pea A W I L D L I F E FAVO R I T E Story and photos by Gerry Steinauer, Botanist Partridge pea seed harvested with a combine and cleaned for planting.

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