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Native Plant Database

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Sophora tomentosa (Yellow necklacepod)
Watson, Sean

Sophora tomentosa L.

Yellow necklacepod, Yellow sophora, Necklace pod, Tambalisa

Fabaceae (Pea Family)

USDA Symbol: soto3

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Yellow necklacepod or yellow sophora is an evergreen shrub with a delicate, multi-stemmed shape and chartreuse branches. Silvery-green foliage provides a backdrop for the 4-16 in spikes of yellow flowers. Seedpods hang on the shrub for a year or more. This plant grows 3-6 feet in height.

A native of South Texas, infrequent along and near the coast as far north as Aransas county. This shrub is hardy to about 20 degrees Fahrenheit (often freezes back at our latitude behaving as a subshrub).

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Size Notes: 3-6
Flower: Flowers in 4 inch spikes
Fruit:
Size Class: 6-12 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct

Distribution

USA: FL , TX
Native Distribution: S. TX, n. to Aransas Co.
Native Habitat: Coastal areas.
USDA Native Status: L48(N), PR(N), VI(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low
Light Requirement: Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
Cold Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Sandy soils. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Saline tolerant
Conditions Comments: Usually freezes to the ground each winter.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Showy, Blooms ornamental, Accent tree or shrub, Long-blooming, Accent
Use Wildlife: Nectar-bees, Nectar-butterflies, Nectar-moths, Nectar-insects
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

From the National Suppliers Directory

According to the inventory provided by Associate Suppliers, this plant is available at the following locations:

Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Native Plant Nursery - Sanibel, FL

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department - Austin, TX
NPSOT - Austin Chapter - Austin, TX
National Butterfly Center - Mission, TX

Bibliography

Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. Wasowski
Bibref 291 - Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife (1999) Damude, N. & K.C. Bender

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Sophora tomentosa in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Sophora tomentosa in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Sophora tomentosa

Metadata

Record Modified: 2008-10-20
Research By: TWC Staff

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