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Plant family: fabaceae

The legume family, former known as leguminosae, is a large one, with members as varied as vegetables (peas and beans), garden flowers (sweet peas, baptisia), shrubs (indigofera, bush clover), and trees. They all have podded fruit, and have nitrogen-fixing nodules at their roots, through a symbiotic relationship with soil micro-organisms.

I use the GRIN online query system to determine plant families. The list below shows the plants in my database listed as members of the fabaceae family. Click on the botanical name of any plant to go to the plant portrait. For a list of all the plant families represented in our garden, see my families page.

Botanical name	Common name	Category	Flowers	Size
Amorpha fruticosa	desert false indigo	shrub	purple
Anthyllis vulneraria coccinea	kidney vetch; woundwort	perennial (Z6-10)	orange-red (spring)	6-16"
Baptisia 'Purple Smoke'		perennial	dusty purple (early summer)	3-4'
Baptisia 'Twilite Prairieblues'	false indigo	perennial (Z4-8)	violet - burgundy
Baptisia alba	white false indigo	perennial	white
Baptisia alba var. alba	white false indigo	perennial	white (early summer)	4' tall, 2' wide
Baptisia alba var. macrophylla	white false indigo; prairie false indigo	perennial	white (spring)	2-4'
Baptisia arachnifera	cobwebby wild indigo; hairy rattleweed	perennial	yellow
Baptisia australis	false indigo	perennial	blue
Baptisia australis var. minor	dwarf false indigo	perennial (Z5-9)	blue	24"
Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea		perennial
Baptisia lanceolata	gopherweed; lance-leaf false indigo	perennial (Z5-9)	yellow (summer)	12-18"
Baptisia sphaerocarpa	yellow baptisia	perennial (Z5-9)	yellow pea flowers in summer	3' tall by 2' wide
Baptisia tinctoria	yellow wild indigo; rattleweed	perennial (Z3-9)	yellow (late spring)	2-3'
Caragana arborescens	Siberian pea tree	tree
Centrosema virginianum	spurred butterfly pea	tender perennial (Z7)	purple (summer)	vine to 4 ft
Cercis canadensis	Eastern redbud	tree	various colors, spring
Cercis chinensis 'Alba'	Chinese redbud	tree (Z6-9)	white	8-12'
Cercis siliquastrum	Judas tree	tree	purple-rose	to 15 ft
Chamaecrista fasciculata	partridge pea	annual	yellow	24-36"
Clitoria ternatea	butterfly pea	tender perennial (Z10-11)	blue	4-6'
Colutea orientalis	bladder senna	shrub/perennial	copper/yellow (autumn)	6'
Crotalaria sagittalis	arrowhead rattlebox
Dalea purpurea	purple prairie clover	perennial (Z3-9)	purple (mid-summer)	1-2'
Desmanthus illinoensis	bundleflower; prairie mimosa	perennial	white (summer)	5'
Desmodium canadense	showy tick trefoil		pink
Dorycnium hirsutum	hairy canary-clover	perennial	purple (summer)	4"
Erythrina herbacea	coral bean; Cherokee bean	tender perennial (Z8-10)	scarlet
Galega officinalis	goat's rue	perennial	white	3 ft
Galega orientalis	oriental goat's rue	perennial	lavender
Genista tinctoria	dyer's broom	perennial (Z4-7)	yellow (summer)	2-3'
Gleditsia triacanthos	honey locust	tree
Gymnocladus dioicus	Kentucky coffee tree	tree
Hedysarum coronarium	French honeysuckle	perennial/biennial (Z4-9)	red (spring)	3'
Indigofera amblyantha	pinkflower indigo	perennial shrub (Z6-10)	pink-purple, late summer	3'
Indigofera heterantha	indigo shrub	shrub	purple	up to 6 ft
Indigofera pseudotinctoria 'Rose Carpet'	prostrate indigo bush	shrub (Z6-9)	pink (late summer)	6-8"
Lablab purpureus	hyacinth bean	tender perennial/annual	purple	10' (grown as annual)
Laburnum anagyroides	golden chain tree	tree (Z5-7)	yellow (spring)	12-30'
Lathyrus clymenum	Spanish vetchling	annual	purple
Lathyrus japonicus ssp. maritimus	beach pea	perennial	purple/white	trailing
Lathyrus latifolius	perennial sweet pea	perennial (Z3-7)	purple	climbs up to 8ft
Lathyrus nervosus	Lord Anson's blue pea	tender perennial	blue
Lathyrus tingitanus	Tangier pea	tender perennial?	bright purple
Lathyrus vernus	spring vetch; everlasting sweet pea	perennial (Z5-9)	purple (spring)	12-18"
Lespedeza capitata	round-headed bush clover	perennial (Z4-8)	creamy white (summer)	2-4'
Lespedeza thunbergii	bush clover	shrub (Z5-8)	purple (late summer)	to 7 ft
Lessertia frutescens	balloon pea	shrub (Z11)	red
Lotus corniculatus	bird's foot trefoil	perennial	yellow (late spring-summer)	sprawler
Lupinus hybrids	lupine	perennial	mixed colors	3 ft
Lupinus latifolius var. parishii	Parish's lupine, broadleaf lupine	perennial (don't know zones)	purple
Lupinus luteus	European yellow lupine	annual	yellow (summer)	2'
Lupinus polyphyllus	large-leaf lupin; garden lupin	biennial/perennial (Z4-10)	purple-blue (spring)	3-4'
Lupinus texensis	Texas bluebonnet	annual	blue (spring)	12"
Medicago lupulina	black medic	annual/perennial	yellow (late spring-summer)	groundhugger
Melilotus officinalis	yellow sweet clover	perennial?	yellow or white (late spring-summer)	2-5'
Ononis repens	restharrow	perennial	purple/pink (July-August)	6"
Phaseolus coccineus 'Trionfo Violetto'	purple runner bean	annual vegetable	purple (summer)	climber
Psorothamnus fremontii	indigo bush; mojave dalea; Fremont's dalea	shrub	blue-purple (spring)	2-3'
Senna marilandica	American senna	shrubby perennial	yellow (July)	3-5 ft
Sophora affinis	Eve's necklace; Texas sophora	shrub/tree	pink (spring)
Sophora davidii	shrub pagoda tree	shrub (Z4-7)	white/blue (May)	4-6'
Thermopsis montana	golden pea, golden banner	perennial (Z3-9)	yellow (mid-spring)	3-4'
Thermopsis villosa	Carolina lupine, Aaron's rod	perennial (Z3-9)	yellow (April-July)	4'
Trifolium repens	white clover	perennial	white
Vicia sativa	common vetch	annual	pink
Vicia villosa	hairy vetch	annual	purple	rambling
Vigna unguiculata	yardlong bean; Chinese red noodle bean	annual	purple	vine to 8'

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Last modified: November 14, 2006
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