Welcome to Partridge Pea.

Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) was the first native prairie plant I learned to identify as I began my hobby of wildflower ID five days ago.

Partridge Pea, aka Sensitive plant

Partridge Pea grows plentifully along the Level B roads within a few miles of my house. These roads serve as an off-beat walking path for my husband and our two dogs since we moved from the city to the country. For several months, I've had a desire to plant a native prairie flower garden in our yard, but I have little to no actual knowledge about gardening or prairie plants. I couldn't even identify a single one, barring the Iowa state flower, the Prairie Rose (Rosa arkansana). As I walked these roads, I suddenly became inspired to photograph each flower I saw and try to identify it.

The Wild Rose of Iowa.

I identified a couple before the Partridge Pea, but neither turned out to be native. Then there was Partridge Pea. I hoorahed when I figured it out, and delight in every subsequent sighting. Today I went seeking more species in the native grass area of the county park, and each little yellow flower along the edge of the path cheered me on.