# 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. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 15 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![goat's rue](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Tephrosia_virginiana.jpg&width=800) Photo: James H. Miller & Ted Bodner, Southern Weed Science Society, Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0 us · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tephrosia_virginiana.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fabales - **Family:** Fabaceae - **Genus:** Tephrosia ## 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 - **Drought Master:** This plant has a deep taproot that helps it find water far underground, allowing it to survive in dry, sunny places. - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer may browse the foliage. - **Eaten by:** Gray Hairstreak butterfly (*Strymon melinus*) — Caterpillars feed on its leaves. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## 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? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### 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 ## Where to spot - [Shaw Nature Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shaw-nature-reserve) — Missouri, US · Botanical Garden - [University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/university-of-wisconsin-madison-arboretum) — Wisconsin, US · Botanical Garden - [Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/long-island-aquarium-and-exhibition-center) — New York, US · Aquarium - [East Home Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/east-home-avenue-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Jackson–Washington State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jackson-washington-state-forest) — Indiana, US · Forest - [Jefferson Barracks Military Post](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/jefferson-barracks-military-post) — Illinois, US · Historic Site [View all places to see goat's rue](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/goats-rue) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Goat's Rue: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/goats-rue)