General
Perennial forb or subshrub that can produce multiple erect stems 1 to 2 feet in height. Stems can be hairy or not.
Leaves
Gray-green, palmately-compound with five to nine narrow leaflets, and attached to stems with long petioles.
Flowers
Commonly blue or violet, sometimes pink and rarely white. Pea-like flowers are arranged in a spike on stems, and are up to 8 inches long.
Bloom
June to August or later.
Ecology
Found in steam valleys, dry roadsides, rocky prairies and open pine woods.
Pollinators
Attracts bees, hover flies and butterflies. Often the first generation of worker bumble bees can be found harvesting the bright red-orange pollen from this species.
References
This piece is part of the collection
Native bee interactions with plants
