# Perennial Wooly Bean (*strophostyles umbellata*) The Perennial Wooly Bean is a fun plant with fuzzy pods that kids love to touch! It grows in fields and along roadsides, adding beauty to nature's canvas. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger - **Snaps:** 2 - **Habitat:** Fields, roadsides, and open areas across North America. - **Also known as:** Fuzzy Bean, Hairy Bean, Wooly Bean ![Perennial Wooly Bean](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Strophostyles_umbellata_-_Pink_Wild_Bean.jpg&width=800) Photo: Fritzflohrreynolds, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Strophostyles_umbellata_-_Pink_Wild_Bean.jpg) ## Appearance The Perennial Wooly Bean is a slender, fuzzy-stemmed vine with small, trifoliate leaves. It has delicate, pea-like flowers that can range from pinkish-purple to reddish-brown. Its most unique feature is the elongated, densely hairy seed pods that give it its 'wooly' name. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fabales - **Family:** Fabaceae - **Genus:** Strophostyles ## Interesting facts - Its deep roots can tap water from far below, helping it survive dry spells! - Look closely! Its tiny flowers sometimes change color from pink to a reddish-brown as they age. - This plant is like nature's fertilizer, adding important nutrients back into the soil! - When its seed pods dry out, they often burst open with a loud 'pop' to spread seeds! ## Special abilities - **Nitrogen Fixer:** Perennial Wooly Bean has special root nodes that help it pull important nitrogen from the air into the soil. - **Fuzzy Protector:** Perennial Wooly Bean has tiny hairs on its seed pods that help protect the developing seeds from hungry insects. - **Deep Drinker:** Perennial Wooly Bean has a deep taproot that helps it find water deep in the soil during dry weather. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-100 cm - **Spread:** 60-200 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-1.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer-fall - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Symbiotic with:** Rhizobium bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — Helps fix nitrogen in the soil. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Browses on its leaves and stems. - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits its flowers for nectar. - **Eaten by:** [Northern Bobwhite](https://www.snappit.app/explore/northern-bobwhite) (*Colinus virginianus*) — Feeds on its nutritious seeds. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [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. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Perennial Wooly 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 Perennial Wooly Bean? 30-100 cm ### How wide does Perennial Wooly Bean spread? 60-200 cm ### How big are the flowers on Perennial Wooly Bean? 1-1.5 cm ### When does Perennial Wooly Bean bloom? Summer-fall ### Is Perennial Wooly Bean edible? No ### Is Perennial Wooly Bean toxic? None ### What is Perennial Wooly Bean's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Charlotte Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/charlotte-street-historic-district) — Arkansas, US · Historic District - [Metcalfe Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/metcalfe-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Muddy Hole Farm Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/muddy-hole-farm-park) — Virginia, US · Park [View all places to see Perennial Wooly Bean](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/perennial-wooly-bean) ## 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: [Perennial Wooly Bean: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/perennial-wooly-bean)