The legume family, former known as leguminosae, is a large one, with
members as varied as vegetables (peas and beans), garden flowers (sweet
peas, baptisia), shrubs (indigofera, bush clover), and trees. They all
have podded fruit, and have nitrogen-fixing nodules at their roots, through
a symbiotic relationship with soil micro-organisms.
| Botanical name |
Common name |
Category |
Flowers | Size |
| Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea' |
Cootamundra wattle; golden mimosa tree | tree (Z9-11) |
yellow (early spring) | 20-30' |
Acacia farnesiana |
huisache; sweet acacia | tree (Z9-11) |
yellow | 15-20' |
| Acaciella angustissima |
white ball acacia; fern acacia; prairie wattle | perennial/subshrub |
white/yellow | 1-4' |
| Amorpha fruticosa |
desert false indigo | shrub |
purple | |
| Amorpha nana |
dwarf false indigo | shrub |
purple | 12-36" |
| Amphicarpaea bracteata |
American hog peanut | perennial (Z5) |
pink to white (late summer) | vine to 4' |
| Anthyllis vulneraria var. coccinea |
kidney vetch; woundwort | perennial (Z6-10) |
orange-red (spring) | 6-16" |
| Astragalus angustifolius |
| perennial/shrub |
white/purple (summer) | |
| Astragalus crassicarpus |
groundplum milk vetch | perennial (Z3-8) |
rose/white | |
| Astragalus lentiginosus var. palans |
freckled milkvetch; spotted locoweed | tender perennial? |
| 12-18" |
| Astragalus newberryi var. castoreus |
Newberry's milkvetch | |
purple | |
| Astragalus utahensis |
Utah milkvetch | perennial (Z5-7) |
pink (spring) | to 6" |
| Baptisia 'Purple Smoke' |
| perennial |
dusty purple (early summer) | 3-4' |
| Baptisia 'Solar Flare Prairieblues' |
| perennial (Z4-9) |
yellow - orange (mid-late spring) | 3-4' |
| Baptisia 'Twilite Prairieblues' |
false indigo | perennial (Z4-8) |
violet - burgundy | |
| Baptisia alba |
white false indigo | perennial |
white | |
| Baptisia alba var. alba |
white false indigo | perennial |
white (early summer) | 4' tall, 2' wide |
| Baptisia alba var. macrophylla |
white false indigo; prairie false indigo | perennial |
white (spring) | 2-4' |
| Baptisia arachnifera |
cobwebby wild indigo; hairy rattleweed | perennial |
yellow | |
| Baptisia australis |
false indigo | perennial (Z3-9) |
blue | 3-4' |
| Baptisia australis var. minor |
dwarf false indigo | perennial (Z5-9) |
blue | 24" |
| Baptisia bracteata var. leucophaea |
| perennial |
| |
| Baptisia lanceolata |
gopherweed; lance-leaf false indigo | perennial (Z5-9) |
yellow (summer) | 12-18" |
| Baptisia perfoliata |
eucalyptus wild indigo, gopher weed, cat's bells | perennial (Z6-9) |
yellow (summer) | 36" |
| Baptisia sphaerocarpa |
yellow baptisia | perennial (Z5-9) |
yellow pea flowers in summer | 3' tall by 2' wide |
| Baptisia tinctoria |
yellow wild indigo; rattleweed | perennial (Z3-9) |
yellow (late spring) | 2-3' |
| Bauhinia brachycarpa |
orchid tree | tree (Z8-11) |
white | 8-10' |
| Bauhinia galpinii |
red orchid tree; pride of de Kaap | shrub (Z9-11) |
red (summer) | to 10' |
| Bauhinia lunarioides |
Anacacho orchid | tree (Z8-11) |
white or pale pink (spring) | 8-12' |
| Bauhinia mexicana |
Mexican orchid tree | tree (Z8-10) |
white to soft pink (summer-fall) | 4-8' |
| Caesalpinia mexicana |
Mexican bird of paradise | shrub-tree Z9-11 |
yellow (summer) | 15-25' |
| Caesalpinia pulcherrima |
pride of Barbados | tender shrub (Z8-11) |
orange-red (summer-fall) | to 8' |
| Calliandra emarginata |
dwarf red powderpuff | shrub (Z9-11) |
red-pink | 6' |
| Calliandra eriophylla |
pink fairy duster | perennial (Z8b-10) |
pink | 12-36" |
| Campylotropis macrocarpa |
false bush clover; Chinese pea shrub | shrub (Z5) |
purple-pink | 5' |
| Caragana arborescens |
Siberian pea tree | tree |
| |
| Cassia nemophila |
desert cassia | shrub (Z7) |
yellow (early spring) | 6-8' |
| Centrosema virginianum |
spurred butterfly pea | tender perennial (Z7) |
purple (summer) | vine to 4 ft |
| Cercis canadensis |
Eastern redbud | tree |
various colors, spring | |
| Cercis chinensis |
Chinese redbud | tree (Z6-9) |
white | 8-12' |
| Cercis siliquastrum |
Judas tree | tree |
purple-rose | to 15 ft |
| Chamaecrista fasciculata |
partridge pea | annual |
yellow | 24-36" |
| Cladrastis kentukea |
yellowwood | tree |
white | to 60 ft |
| Clianthus puniceus |
lobster claw; kaka beak | perennial (Z8-11) |
pink | 3-5' |
| Clitoria ternatea |
butterfly pea; blue pea | tender perennial (Z10-11) |
blue | 4-6' |
| Colutea orientalis |
bladder senna | shrub (Z5-7) |
copper/yellow (autumn) | 6' |
| Crotalaria sagittalis |
arrowhead rattlebox | |
| |
| Dalea candida |
white prairie clover | perennial (Z3-8) |
white | 12-24" |
| Dalea frutescens |
black prairie clover | perennial |
purple-pink (spring-fall) | 36" |
| Dalea greggii |
trailing indigo bush, Gregg's prairie clover | perennial |
purple (spring) | 9-12" |
| Dalea purpurea |
purple prairie clover | perennial (Z3-9) |
purple (mid-summer) | 1-2' |
| Desmanthus illinoensis |
bundleflower; prairie mimosa | perennial (Z5-9) |
white (summer) | 5' |
| Desmodium canadense |
showy tick trefoil | |
pink | |
| Dorycnium hirsutum |
hairy canary-clover | perennial |
purple (summer) | 4" |
| Ebenopsis ebano |
Texas ebony | tree (Z9-10) |
cream (spring-fall) | 25' |
| Erythrina crista-galli |
coral bean | shrub/tree (Z9-11) |
red (late spring-summer) | to 20' |
| Erythrina herbacea |
coral bean; Cherokee bean | tender perennial (Z8-10) |
scarlet | |
| Erythrina vespertilio |
bat-wing coral-tree | tree |
red | 15-25' |
| Eysenhardtia texana |
Texas kidneywood | shrub (Z8-11) |
white | 3-10' |
| Galega officinalis |
goat's rue | perennial |
white | 3 ft |
| Galega orientalis |
oriental goat's rue | perennial |
lavender | |
| Genista tinctoria |
dyer's broom | perennial (Z4-7) |
yellow (summer) | 2-3' |
| Gleditsia triacanthos |
honey locust | tree |
| |
| Gymnocladus dioicus |
Kentucky coffee tree | tree |
| |
| Hedysarum coronarium |
French honeysuckle | perennial/biennial (Z4-9) |
red (spring) | 3' |
| Indigofera amblyantha |
pinkflower indigo | perennial shrub (Z6-10) |
pink-purple, late summer | 3' |
| Indigofera heterantha |
indigo shrub | shrub |
purple | up to 6 ft |
| Indigofera kirilowii |
Chinese indigo | shrub (Z5-7) |
pink-purple (summer) | 24-36" |
| Indigofera pseudotinctoria 'Rose Carpet' |
prostrate indigo bush | shrub (Z6-9) |
pink (summer) | 6-8" |
| Lablab purpureus |
hyacinth bean | tender perennial/annual |
purple | 10' (grown as annual) |
| Laburnum anagyroides |
golden chain tree | tree (Z5-7) |
yellow (spring) | 12-30' |
| Lathyrus aureus |
golden perennial sweet pea | perennial (Z5-9) |
gold-orange (summer) | 18-24" |
| Lathyrus clymenum |
Spanish vetchling | annual |
purple | |
| Lathyrus davidii |
| perennial |
orange (summer) | |
| Lathyrus japonicus ssp. maritimus |
beach pea | perennial |
purple/white | trailing |
| Lathyrus latifolius |
perennial sweet pea | perennial (Z3-7) |
purple | climbs up to 8ft |
| Lathyrus nervosus |
Lord Anson's blue pea | tender perennial |
blue | |
| Lathyrus odoratus |
sweet pea | annual |
various | climbs to 6' |
| Lathyrus rotundifolius |
| perennial (Z5-11) |
red/cream (summer) | vine to 8' |
| Lathyrus tingitanus |
Tangier pea | tender perennial? |
bright purple | |
| Lathyrus tuberosus |
tuberous sweet pea | perennial |
pink | vine to 4' |
| Lathyrus venetus |
Venetian vetchling | perennial |
pink/white | |
| Lathyrus vernus |
spring vetch; everlasting sweet pea | perennial (Z5-9) |
purple (spring) | 12-18" |
| Lespedeza capitata |
round-headed bush clover | perennial (Z4-8) |
creamy white (summer) | 2-4' |
| Lespedeza liukiuensis 'Little Volcano' |
bush clover | shrub (Z6-9) |
purple-pink (summer-fall) | 4-6' |
| Lespedeza thunbergii |
bush clover | shrub (Z5-8) |
purple (late summer) | to 7 ft |
| Lessertia frutescens |
balloon pea | shrub (Z9b-11) |
red | 18-36" |
| Lotus corniculatus |
bird's foot trefoil | perennial |
yellow (late spring-summer) | sprawler |
| Lupinus hybrids |
lupine | perennial |
mixed colors | 3 ft |
| Lupinus latifolius var. parishii |
Parish's lupine, broadleaf lupine | perennial (don't know zones) |
purple | |
| Lupinus luteus |
European yellow lupine | annual |
yellow (summer) | 2' |
| Lupinus polyphyllus |
large-leaf lupin; garden lupin | biennial/perennial (Z4-10) |
purple-blue (spring) | 3-4' |
| Lupinus texensis |
Texas bluebonnet | annual |
blue (spring) | 12" |
| Maackia amurensis |
| tree (Z3-8) |
white (June) | 20-30' |
| Medicago arabica |
spotted medick | |
yellow | |
| Medicago lupulina |
black medic | annual/perennial |
yellow (late spring-summer) | groundhugger |
| Melilotus albus |
white sweet clover | annual/biennial |
creamy white (summer) | 4-6' |
| Melilotus officinalis |
yellow sweet clover | perennial? |
yellow or white (late spring-summer) | 2-5' |
| Mimosa quadrivalvis var. occidentalis |
western sensitive briar | perennial (Z?) |
pink | 4" |
| Ononis repens |
restharrow | perennial |
purple/pink (July-August) | 6" |
| Orbexilum pedunculatum |
Samson's snakeroot, Congo root | perennial (Z6-9) |
purple (late spring-summer) | 12-32" |
| Oxytropis borealis var. viscida |
sticky crazyweed | perennial |
cream to purple (summer) | |
| Oxytropis multiceps |
dwarf locoweed; Nuttall's oxytrope | perennial (Z4) |
pink/white | 2" |
| Oxytropis oreophila |
locoweed | perennial (Z4-7) |
purple (spring) | 2-6" |
| Oxytropis shokanbetsuensis |
mashikegenge | perennial |
purple | 15" |
| Pediomelum tenuiflorum |
wild alfalfa; slender-flower breadroot | perennial (Z4-9) |
pink (spring) | 36" |
| Phaseolus polystachios |
thicket bean, wild kidney bean | perennial |
pink-purple | to 12' |
| Phaseolus vulgaris 'Trionfo Violetto' |
purple climbing bean | annual vegetable |
purple (summer) | climber |
| Pisum sativum var. macrocarpon 'Carouby de Maussane' |
snow pea | annual |
purple (late spring) | vine to 3' |
| Psoralea canescens |
buckroot; eastern prairie turnip | perennial (Z6-9) |
cream | 30" |
| Psorothamnus fremontii |
indigo bush; mojave dalea; Fremont's dalea | shrub |
blue-purple (spring) | 2-3' |
| Senna corymbosa |
| shrub (Z8-11) |
yellow (late summer-fall) | 5' |
| Senna marilandica |
American senna | shrubby perennial |
yellow (July) | 3-5 ft |
| Senna splendida |
showy senna; golden wonder | shrub/tree (Z9-11) |
yellow (fall-winter) | 9-12' |
| Sophora affinis |
Eve's necklace; Texas sophora | shrub/tree |
pink (spring) | |
| Sophora davidii |
shrub pagoda tree | shrub (Z4-7) |
white/blue (May) | 4-6' |
| Sophora prostrata |
kÅwhai | shrub |
yellow | 6' |
| Sophora secundiflora |
Texas mountain laurel | tree (Z7b-10) |
purple (early spring) | 10-20' |
| Thermopsis chinensis 'Sophia' |
dwarf southern lupine, pea bush | perennial |
yellow (spring) | 18" |
| Thermopsis lanceolata |
golden pea, golden banner | perennial (Z3-9) |
yellow (mid-spring) | 3-4' |
| Thermopsis villosa |
Carolina lupine, Aaron's rod | perennial (Z3-9) |
yellow (April-July) | 4' |
| Trifolium repens |
white clover | perennial |
white | |
| Vicia sativa |
common vetch | annual |
pink | |
| Vicia villosa |
hairy vetch | annual |
purple | rambling |
| Vigna unguiculata |
yardlong bean; Chinese red noodle bean | annual |
purple | vine to 8' |
| Vigna vexillata |
wild mung bean; wild cow pea; zombi pea | tender perennial |
magenta | vine |
| Wisteria sinensis |
Chinese wisteria | perennial (Z5-9) |
violet-blue (May-June) | 10-25 ft |
