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Lessertia frutescens |
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| | Stand of seedlings in May, from a late-winter start |
| Synonym(s) |
Sutherlandia frutescens |
| Common name |
balloon pea |
| Family |
fabaceae |
| Life cycle |
shrub (Z9b-11) |
| Flowers |
red |
| Size |
18-36" |
| Light |
sun |
From seed  |
soak in warm water, germinate at room temperature
detailed seed-starting info below
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Tender species from southern Africa, must probably be grown as an annual even in our subtropical Gulf Coast climate – but it looks to be quite striking, so if it blooms first year, it will be worth it. Fine compound leaves with gray-green leaflets, orange-red flowers in short racemes at the tips of the branches, followed by bladder-like papery seed pods that are attractive in their own right. There appears to be a great deal of confusion over its proper scientific name, with both of my taxonomy resources saying Sutherlandia frutescens is the accepted name, but many other sources claiming its proper name is now Lessertia.
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This plant used to grow in our garden, but it slipped away... About my plant portraits
PlantLinks to other web pages about Lessertia frutescens
- Seed from T&M '04, via trade. Poured hot water over seeds, let soak for a few hours. Baggy 70F (6w; 67%G, 3-13d)
- Seed from NARGS '20/'21 exchange. Sandpapered, baggy 70F (56%G, 4-25d)
- Same seed as above. Baggy 70F (20%G, progressively with sandpapering, 4-30d)
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