Plant Profile: Sesbania punicea

This plant is a deciduous shrub or a small tree characterized by its alternate leaves, which are pinnately divided into 6 to 20 pairs of leaflets that have smooth edges. The flowers resemble those of peas and come in shades of red-orange or reddish-purple, growing in drooping clusters. Its fruit is a four-winged pod that features slight constrictions and partitions between the seeds.

**Poison Delivery Method:** Ingestion.

**Toxicity Level:** EXTREMELY TOXIC; CONSUMPTION CAN BE FATAL!

**Habitat:** Commonly found in weedy areas, along roadsides, and in ditches; it is also used as an ornamental plant and has become naturalized in certain regions of the Coastal Plain.