Sesbania herbacea

Bigpod sesbania, coffee weed, colorado river hemp, Colorado River Hemp

Family: Fabaceae · Type: annual · Native

Bigpod sesbania is a California native annual found in the southern desert regions along streams and moist sites, including cultivated and old field areas at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from April to October, this plant produces yellow flowers in small clusters of 2 to 6 blossoms. Growing with slender stems up to one meter tall, it develops a delicate, spreading habit. Its compound leaves are notable for having 30 to 60 small oblong leaflets, each 1 to 2.5 centimeters long, creating a fine, feathery appearance. The fruit is a distinctive linear pod reaching 15 to 20 centimeters in length, which stands out against the plant's delicate foliage.

Habitat: Along streams, other moist sites, often in cultivation or old fields

Bloom period: Apr-Oct

Elevation: < 500 m

Bioregions: DSon, probably elsewhere

California counties: Riverside, Imperial, Kern, San Diego, Sacramento, Yolo, Tulare

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.