Native Sennas

Two native Sennas to consider if you want to attract the Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly (Phoebis sennae) to your garden. The first naturally occurs in 19 Florida counties including Miami-Dade and the Florida Keys. This would be Senna ligustrina or the Privet Senna. It flowers periodically throughout the year and has an upright growth habit up to 8 feet tall. The second is Senna mexicana var. chapmanii or Chapman’s Senna. This species only occurs in Miami-Dade County and The Florida Keys and is considered threatened. It only flowers in the fall and is much more shrub like than Senna ligustrina. It may attain a height of 5 feet and grow equally wide or wider than 5 feet. Both are host plants for the Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly.

Richard Lyons Nursery has both of these Senna species currently in stock.