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Native Plant Database

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Tephrosia virginiana (Goat's rue)
Flaigg, Norman G.

Tephrosia virginiana (L.) Pers.

Goat's rue, Virginia tephrosia, Devil's shoestring

Fabaceae (Pea Family)

USDA Symbol: tevi

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

The flowers of goat’s-rue resemble bi-colored sweet peas. Lower petals are pink; upper petals are pale yellow. Pinnately compound leaves have 8-15 pairs of leaflets. Stems and leaves are covered with soft, white hairs giving the 1-2 ft. perennial a silvery appearance. Mature plants form attractive mounds. Bicolored, pea-like flowers, with pink wings and a yellow standard, crowded into clusters atop a hairy stem.

A distinctively silvery plant, Goats Rue has long stringy roots, to which the common name Devils Shoestrings refers. It was at one time fed to goats to increase their milk production, but since it contains rotenone (now used as an insecticide and fish poison), this practice has been discontinued. In the South, several white-flowering species occur (T. spicata, T. chrysophylla, etc.) with fewer flowers per cluster on the tips of long stalks. These flowers eventually turn pink, and the foliage is often distinctive because of brownish or golden hairs.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Flower:
Fruit:
Size Class: 1-3 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Pink , Yellow
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , DC , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , RI , SC , TN , TX , VA , WI , WV
Canada: ON
Native Distribution: S. NH to WV, s. MI & extreme s.e. MN, s. to FL, TX & KS
Native Habitat: Open woods; sandy fields; dunes
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N)

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Sandy soils.

Benefit

Use Wildlife: Attracts ground birds.
Use Other: Pounded roots used as a fish poison by indigenous people of southeastern North America.
Warning: POISONOUS PARTS: All parts. Low toxicity if eaten. Symptoms unknown. Toxic Principle: Tephrosin.

It contains rotenone, which is now used as an insecticide and fish poison. (Niering)
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

Propagation

Description: Propagate by seed sown unstratified in fall or stratified in spring.
Seed Collection: Collect in Aug. to Sep. Fruit is a narrow pod that is difficult to break.
Seed Treatment: Scarification, inoculation, moist stratification for 10 days.
Commercially Avail: yes
* Available Online from Wildflower Center Store

Bibliography

Bibref 946 - Gardening with Prairie Plants: How to Create Beautiful Native Landscapes (2002) Wasowski, Sally
* The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.
Bibref 1243 - The Southeastern Indians (1976) Hudson, Charles
Bibref 328 - Wildflowers of Texas (2003) Ajilvsgi, Geyata.

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

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Additional resources

USDA: Find Tephrosia virginiana in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Tephrosia virginiana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Tephrosia virginiana

Metadata

Record Modified: 2012-12-09
Research By: TWC Staff

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