Plant Profile: Crotalaria spectabilis

Crotalaria spectabilis, often referred to as Showy Crotalaria, belongs to the legume family, Fabaceae. This annual herbaceous plant typically flowers between August and November. Although it is not indigenous to the United States, it was brought to the southeastern region from tropical areas. Its range extends from Virginia down to Florida and westward to Texas. This species thrives in open fields and along roadsides, favoring sandy soils and full sunlight.

You can often spot it growing along roadsides and in cultivated fields, where it may become invasive in disturbed environments.