Plants We Love: Goat’s Rue
Goat’s rue (Tephrosia virginiana) is a low-growing, sun-loving native perennial that blooms all summer.
Common name: Goat's rue
Botanical name:Tephrosia virginiana
Virtues: Unique bicolored flowers, drought tolerance.
Flowers: Clusters of pastel pink and yellow flowers, appearing May through August.
Foliage: Small oval leaves held alternately on long stalks, somewhat fernlike in appearance.
Habit: Perennial to 1 to 2 feet tall and wide.
Season: Spring and summer.
Origin: Dry open woods, thickets and fields of the eastern half of the United States.
Cultivation: Grow in full sun to part shade. Prefers well-drained acidic soil. Prefers sandy soil but tolerates other types with good drainage. Tolerates drought. USDA Zones 4–9.
Bottom image: Ted Bodner, Southern Weed Science Society, Bugwood.org
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