September 1st, 2007
Lindheimer Senna
Despite no appreciable drop in temperature, fall has come to Austin and the plants know it. New flowers are starting to open, first the oxblood lilies, then the coral bean, and now the Lindheimer senna (aka velvetleaf cassia) which goes by a couple of botanic names, Cassia lindheimeri or Senna lindheimeriana.
I bought the senna (or is it a cassia?) back in May in a 4-inch pot from Barton Springs Nursery. When I planted it, I teased the three stems apart. One died but the other two thrived on all the rain we got this summer and are now about 3 feet tall and wide. The flowers are not very showy. I prefer the plant for its blue-green leaves which are very velvety to the touch. Lindheimer senna is reported to reseed freely and is a native Texan, at home on the shallow limestone of the Edwards plateau. I also read, though not a problem in my backyard, that it is considered toxic to cattle. Deer, too, are said to leave it alone. However, birds like the seeds.
Garden History
Planted: 2007-05-23.
First flower: 2007-08-28.
by M Sinclair Stevens
September 1st, 2007
I like the cassias – although I don’t know much about them. A few years ago I got seeds from one that was called ‘Candlelabra” (or however you spell it!) and it was just beautiful – but I neglectfully didn’t collect my own seed, and it didn’t overwinter here in South Carolina. One that reseeds freely sounds great to me!
September 2nd, 2007
It does seem like fall. To me, even the temperature is lower than usual. It was 89 degrees on the back porch this afternoon; isn’t early September usually in the high 90s? I don’t know, but I’m loving the anticipation of fall, and the oxblood lilies and sennas are just adding to my feeling of happiness over it.