Cassia bicapsularis
pronounced KASS-ee-uh bye-kap-soo-LAIR-iss
Cassia, Winter Cassia,
Butterfly Bush
The
Winter Cassia (Cassia
bicapsularis or Senna bicapsularis)
is a winter bloomer that puts on a wonderful floral
display around the holiday season (although photos
below were taken in early May).
The flowers are also
very attractive to bees and butterflies and a
favorite food plant for the
larvae of sulphur and white butterflies. The plant,
a member of the Royal Poinciana family, can be found in
almost all the tropical areas of the world. The tree can
be kept as a potted specimen with judicious pruning.
Makes an excellent small specimen for limited-space
areas such as street sides or parking lots.
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Cassia bicapsularis flowers.
Click image to enlarge. |
Cassia bicapsularis
shrub.
Click image to enlarge. |
Cassia bicapsularis
seed pods.
Click image to enlarge. |
A concerned FloridaGardener.com reader wrote: "Senna bicapsularis is a Category 1 exotic invasive that displaces
native vegetation in tropical hammocks and coastal areas. It reseeds readily. Try Senna mexicana var. chapmanii
or ligustrina instead and do Florida a favor --- both of these are natives and belong here."
Actually, Cassia (Senna) bicapsularis is an erroneous synonym for Senna pendula var. glabrata which IS a noxious
invasive (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambling_Senna). Senna bicapsularis however is not in the FEPPC
lists which is why Cassia bicapsularis is not prohibited for sale in Florida.
But,
unfortunately it is documented that Senna pendula var. glabrata is “often sold as
C.
bicapsularis (Isely 1990)”.
It
is easy to understand why, although it does
not excuse the practice, Senna pendula var.
glabrata will grow very
easily from seed
while Cassia (Senna) bicapsularis has a hard
seed coat which needs mechanical
scarification to
sprout successfully.
Because of the confusion of the two plants (and
unscrupulous growers not helping the matter) my
suggestion is
that native cassias should be
planted instead. Some good suggestions are:
Bahama
cassia (Cassia bahamensis, now Senna
mexicana var. chapmanii)
Partridge pea (Cassia fasciculata, now
Chamaecrista fasciculata)
Privet
cassia (Cassia ligustrina, now Senna
ligustrina)
Sensitive plant (Cassia nictitans, now
Chamaecrista nictitans var. nictitans)
Plant
Facts:
Common Name:
Cassia,
Winter Cassia, Butterfly Bush
Botanical Name:
Cassia bicapsularis or
Senna bicapsularis
Family:
Caesalpiniaceae
Plant Type:
Deciduous tree north of Zone 10
Origin:
Tropical America
Zones:
9 - 11
Height: 12'
Rate of Growth: Fast
Salt Tolerance:
Low
Soil Requirements:
Sandy-loam, well drained soil
Water Requirements:
Moderate
Nutritional Requirements: Balanced
liquid fertilizer monthly
Light Requirements: Full
sun
Form:
Multi-stem upright shrub or small tree
Leaves:
Dark green, obovate, three to five pairs
Flowers:
Deep golden yellow
Fruits: Pods
Pests or diseases:
None
major
Uses: Specimen
plant, shrub
Bad Habits:
Flowers attract many bees and butterflies
Cost: $$ --
Very reasonable
Propagation:
Seeds, very easy, pour boiling water over them and allow to soak overnight
before planting or scarify hard seed coat with sand paper then plant in potting
soil
Sources:
Tropical Look; an Encyclopedia of
Dramatic Landscape Plants;
Flowering Trees of Florida
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