Sesbania punicea

Scarlet sesban, Scarlet Sesban

Family: Fabaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Scarlet sesban is a naturalized annual found in the North Coast Ranges, Great Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, and other regions at elevations below 200 meters, commonly growing along streams, lake shores, roadsides, and in cultivated settings. Flowering from June to September, this plant produces striking red flowers in small clusters of 5 to 15 blooms. Growing with slender stems and a spreading habit, it reaches moderate heights with multiple branches. Its compound leaves feature approximately 20 to 34 small elliptic leaflets, each 0.8 to 2.5 centimeters long, creating a delicate, feathery appearance. The fruit develops as an elongated pod measuring 4 to 8 centimeters in length, providing additional visual interest to this ornamental species.

Habitat: Along streams, lake shores, other moist sites, roadsides, often cultivated as ornamental

Bloom period: Jun-Sep

Elevation: < 200 m

Bioregions: NCoRO, GV, SnFrB, probably elsewhere

California counties: Yolo, Orange, Sacramento, Shasta, Placer, San Joaquin, El Dorado, Fresno, Nevada, Stanislaus, Butte, Sonoma, Glenn, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Napa, Tehama, San Diego, Madera

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