Necklace Pod

Necklace Pod (Sophora tomentosa var. truncata) is a native Florida shrub that can be found from Zones 9B-11. This showy native offers attractive sprays of yellow flowers that give way to long seed pods that looks like beads on a necklace. Each seed pod starts as a silvery thin crescent, but as they grow, the pod constricts tightly between the seeds inside.

To see this plant in the wild, you should probably check the inland side of beach dunes and coastal areas. Necklace pod has a high tolerance for salt and prefers a sunny and mostly sandy habitat. Is can also be found along the edges of coastal forests, far enough inland to avoid salt water.

This Sophora variety cannot tolerate temperatures colder than 25F / -3C. Make sure you are located far enough south or you could lose this shrub in a freeze.

Necklace pod is a broad and rangy shrub that may grow 6 to 10 feet in height but to about 8 to 10 feet in spread. The long and graceful stems and sprays of flowers make this native shrub always look a little wild, so it would not be best to pick for a setting where you want a more manicured look. If you want a more wild and wildlife style garden, this might be the right plant for you.

Wildlife:

The yellow flowers of Necklacepod are attractive to butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. Many butterfly host plant lists name Necklace Pod as a host for Sulphur butterflies, but we have never observed Sulphurs laying eggs on this plant and have never found any sign of caterpillars. If you do find caterpillars on your Sophora, it's likely the larva of the Genista Broom Moth (Uresiphita reversalis).

Native and Non Native varieties:

Sophora occidentalis var. truncata is native to Florida; Caribbean; S. America

Sophora occidentalis var. occidentalis is native to Texas but can easily cross pollinate with our native variety. This variety can be distinguished by very fine and densely haired leaves that give the foliage a stong silver sheen.

What's in a Name?

The genera name Sophora is derived from the Arabic word sophera, the name for a tree with pea-like flowers. The specific epithet tomentosa means "covered in fine hairs"