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Common Name: Golden Cassia

General Information

Chamaecrista fasciculata is an annual plant that can grow up to 1.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Eastern, Central and South-eastern N. America.

Habitat

Open woods and prairies, disturbed areas, often on sandy soils[].

Properties

Habit	Annual
Height	1.00 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in most well-drained soils but prefers an open sandy loam in a sunny sheltered position[, ]. Established plants are drought tolerant[]. Succeeds in light shade, but the plant is much less vigorous when grown in dry shade[].
Young plants should be mulched each winter until they are well established[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

Root - cooked[, , ].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - scarify and then pre-soak the seed for 2 - 3 hours in warm water before sowing it from early spring to early summer in a warm greenhouse[]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 12 weeks at 23°c[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse. Do not plant them out until the following spring[].
Division as growth commences in spring[].
Cuttings of moderately ripe wood, July in a frame[].