Intro:

Stems:

Leaves:

Inforescence:

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Fruits:

Comments: The fortunate hiker may come across the beautiful Carolina bush pea, for it is an infrequent plant occuring in openings or clearings in the mountains of the southeast. During the month of May, it has beautiful, bright yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers coming off the top of a central stalk, which can grow to four or five feet tall. The genus name comes from thermos, meaning lupine, and opsis, meaning like. It can be confused with Baptisia, but Baptisia has blue-green foliage and inflated seed pods whereas Thermopsis has green foliage and flat seed pods.

Height: 4-5 ft.

plant sale text: Carolina Bush Pea is a close relative of the Baptisias and has many similar traits. This SE native perennial bears dozens of bright yellow pea-like flowers in racemes that reach a foot in length. Its flowers are followed by attractive seed pods that persist for months. This species is durable and long-lived. It is drought-tolerant, once its root system has had time to become established. Plant it in full sun and well-drained soil amended with organic matter to keep it full and bushy as well as maximizing its flowering.

bloom table text:

description:

stems:

leaves:

inflorescence:

flowers:

fruits:

comments: The fortunate hiker may come across the beautiful Carolina bush pea, for it is an infrequent plant occuring in openings or clearings in the mountains of the southeast. During the month of May, it has beautiful, bright yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers coming off the top of a central stalk, which can grow to four or five feet tall. The genus name comes from thermos, meaning lupine, and opsis, meaning like. It can be confused with Baptisia, but Baptisia has blue-green foliage and inflated seed pods whereas Thermopsis has green foliage and flat seed pods.

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: southeastern United States