# Golden bean (*Thermopsis rhombifolia*)

The Golden Bean is a bright yellow flower that looks like little beans! It grows in sunny places and is loved by bees and butterflies. Its cheerful color makes gardens look happy!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands
- **Also known as:** False Lupine

![Golden bean](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Thermopsis_rhombifolia_NPS.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thermopsis_rhombifolia_NPS.jpg)

## Appearance

The Golden bean has vibrant golden-yellow, pea-like flowers clustered at the top of its stems. Its leaves are trifoliate, meaning they have three leaflets, and are a soft green, often appearing fuzzy. It stands out with its bright bloom color against often dry, rocky backgrounds.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Fabales
- **Family:** Fabaceae
- **Genus:** Thermopsis

## Interesting facts

- Despite its name, don't eat it; it's a 'false' bean that can make you sick!
- It's one of the very first bright yellow flowers to burst open in spring!
- Its scientific name, Thermopsis, actually means 'looks like lupine'!
- The fuzzy pods holding its seeds look like tiny green bean purses!

## Special abilities

- **Soil Enrichment:** Golden bean can enrich the soil by fixing nitrogen, helping it thrive even in nutrient-poor conditions.
- **Drought Resilience:** Golden bean has deep roots that help it find water, allowing it to grow in dry, rocky places where other plants struggle.
- **Underground Spreader:** Golden bean can spread underground using rhizomes, creating new plants and forming dense patches over time.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 15-60 cm
- **Spread:** 30-75 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1.5-2.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late_spring_to_early_summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Moderate
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Gathers nectar and pollen from its flowers.
- **Pollinates:** Western Bumblebee (*Bombus occidentalis*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen.
- **Symbiotic with:** Rhizobium bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — Lives in root nodules, converting nitrogen for the plant.

## Traits

- [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.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [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.
- [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability.
- [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 look but don't touch flowers without asking an adult first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Golden bean?

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 Golden bean?

15-60 cm

### How wide does Golden bean spread?

30-75 cm

### How big are the flowers on Golden bean?

1.5-2.5 cm

### When does Golden bean bloom?

Late_spring_to_early_summer

### Is Golden bean edible?

No

### Is Golden bean toxic?

Moderate

### What is Golden bean's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Mount Rushmore National Memorial](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/mount-rushmore-national-memorial) — South Dakota, US · National Park

## 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*)

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Source: [Golden bean: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/golden-bean)