Bahama Cassia

We've long been a fan of cassias in the MOSI Outside gardens. These plants are the host for sulphur butterflies, including Orange-Barred Sulphur, Cloudless Sulphur, and Sleepy Orange. For many years, we've grown non-native Winter Cassia (Cassia bicapsularis) and Candlestick Cassia (Cassia alata) because these were the only varieties easily available to us. In the last year, though, we've had the ability to add a couple of native cassia species to our gardens, and we're thrilled with the results. You'll find Bahama Cassia (Senna mexicana var. chapmanii) in the Historic Tree Grove - look for it in the Flatwoods garden between the Olustee Longleaf Pine and Clara Barton Red Bud.

Bahama Cassia is native to zones 10 and higher, including South Florida. As a result of the shifting climate, much of Tampa is now in USDA zone 9b, and we experience hard freezes only once very few years. Because of that change, Bahama Cassia is easier to grow now in Central Florida, especially in sheltered spots. While these cassias may die back to the ground if we have a hard freeze over the winter, they should rebound quickly in spring and put on several feet of growth within a few months.

Bahama Cassia is similar to another native, Privet Cassia (Senna ligustrina). Bahama Cassia has slightly rounder leaves and a more full growth habit, while Privet Cassia has longer, more pointed leaves and somewhat spindly growth. Bahama Cassia, unlike Winter Cassia, blooms sporadically year-round. It prefers to be grown in part-shade, but can tolerate full sun. In ideal growing conditions (part-shade, no frosts or freezes) it can grow up to 9 feet. The Bahama Cassia in the MOSI Outside gardens has reached about 4 feet tall and wide.

Like all cassias, Bahama Cassia has glands at the bases of the leaves that attract ants, which often attack and eat the sulphur butterfly eggs and caterpillars. This natural cycle helps to keep the butterfly population in check, but can make it frustrating to those of us who plant cassia purposely for butterfly caterpillars. Regardless, this pretty native cassia deserves a place in butterfly and native wildflower gardens in Central Florida.