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goat's rue

Tephrosia virginiana

Goat's rue is a lovely plant with pretty purple flowers. It grows in fields and is known for its special ability to help the soil by adding nutrients.

Habitat: Grasslands

Appearance

The goat's rue has distinctive pea-like flowers, often bicolored with yellowish-white upper petals and purplish-pink lower petals. Its stems and compound leaves are covered in soft, silvery hairs, giving the plant a unique fuzzy appearance and a silvery-green hue.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderFabalesFamilyFabaceaeGenusTephrosia
goat's rue
deciduous trait badgeflowering trait badgenitrogen_fixing trait badgesummer_blooming trait badge
goat's rue

Category

Plants

Rarity

Common

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Snaps

15

Interesting facts

Indigenous peoples historically used parts of goat's rue to make traditional medicines.

Its common name comes from an old belief that goats liked to eat this plant!

Many species of bees and butterflies visit its colorful flowers to sip sweet nectar.

The plant's seed pods burst open to fling their seeds far away, spreading new plants!

Special abilities

Ability

Drought Master

This plant has a deep taproot that helps it find water far underground, allowing it to survive in dry, sunny places.

Ability

Bug Buster

Goat's rue can produce natural compounds that act as insecticides, helping to protect itself from hungry bugs.

Measurements & details

Height
30-90 cm
Spread
20-60 cm
Flower Size
1-2 cm
Bloom Season
Summer
Edible
No
Toxicity
Mild
Lifecycle
Perennial
Pollination Method
Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

Common Eastern Bumblebee

Bombus impatiens

Visits flowers for nectar.

pollinates

European honey bee

Apis mellifera

Gathers nectar from blooms.

eaten by

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

Deer may browse the foliage.

eaten by

Gray Hairstreak butterfly

Strymon melinus

Caterpillars feed on its leaves.

Traits

Also known as

No aliases listed yet.

Collections

Safety

Danger

1/5 · Very low

Always check with an adult before touching or picking any plants.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to identify goat's rue?

The easiest way to identify goat's rue is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.

How tall is goat's rue?

30-90 cm

How wide does goat's rue spread?

20-60 cm

How big are the flowers on goat's rue?

1-2 cm

When does goat's rue bloom?

Summer

Is goat's rue edible?

No

Is goat's rue toxic?

Mild

What is goat's rue's lifecycle?

Perennial

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