Wild Senna, Maryland senna
Senna marilandica

Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae

What it is like

Senna marilandica is a deciduous Shrub growing to 1.5 m (5ft) by 0.8 m (2ft 7in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in flower from July to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Height (m): 1.5

Where it is found

Thickets and dry roadsides. Disturbed areas, sandy fields and open woods in Texas.

South-eastern N. America - Pennsylvania to Florida, Kansas and Iowa.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 3

The leaves and seedpods are cathartic, diuretic and vermifuge. The leaves are harvested before and during flowering, the pods are harvested when fully ripe in the autumn. Both are dried for later use. The leaves are a safe and effective cathartic. They are best used with Foeniculum vulgare seeds in order to counteract a tendency to cause gripe. The seedpods can also be used and are milder but slower in their action. The seeds have been soaked in water until they are mucilaginous and then swallowed as a treatment for sore throats. The root is cardiac and febrifuge. An infusion has been used in the treatment of fevers and heart problems. A poultice of the root has been used in treating sores.

Cardiac: Used in the treatment of heart problems.

Cathartic: A strong laxative but less violent than a purgative.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Vermifuge: Expels and kills internal parasites.

Other

Rating:

Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil

How it is grown

Succeeds in most well-drained soils but prefers an open sandy loam in a sunny sheltered position. Established plants are drought tolerant. Succeeds in light shade, but the plant is much less vigorous when grown in dry shade. Although fairly cold-tolerant, plants can be killed in very severe weather, so it is best to mulch the roots of mature plants in bad winters. Younger plants should be mulched each winter until they are well established. Slugs are very attracted to this plant. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.

Propagating it: Seed - scarify and then pre-soak the seed for 2 - 3 hours in warm water before sowing it from early spring to early summer in a warm greenhouse. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 12 weeks at 23°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse. Do not plant them out until the following spring. Division as growth commences in spring. Cuttings of moderately ripe wood, July in a frame.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Cassia marylandica. L. C. medsgeri.