Flower profile
Coues' senna
Senna covesii
Coues' senna (Senna covesii) is a low shrub in the Fabaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–November across the U.S.
Coues' senna is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Arizona it's most often seen in bloom in April–November.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Arizona
Quick look
Senna covesii is a perennial subshrub in the family Fabaceae, native to the Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert in southeastern California, southern Nevada, and Arizona in the United States, and northern Baja California in Mexico. It is found on desert plains and in sandy washes between 300 and 900 m above sea level, and is very common in Joshua Tree National Park. The specific epithet honors ornithologist Elliott Coues.
- It belongs to the Fabaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 4 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Arizona. NatureServe
- In Arizona, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–November. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 4,131 research-grade sightings of it in Arizona, ranking #22 among the 132 flowers on our Arizona list. iNaturalist
When does it bloom?
In Arizona, most flowering sightings come in April–November.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Arizona
- Not listed Not on Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arizona. AAC R3-3 App. A
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: NV (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records coues' senna in 4 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico.
Arizona counties with USDA records: Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, Yavapai, Yuma.
Names, range and relatives
Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Cassia covesii.
County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 19 counties across 4 states; the most are in Arizona (13), California (4), Nevada (1).
Other Senna on Bloomipedia (3): Lindheimer's senna, Two-leaved senna, American sicklepod.
More from the Fabaceae family (114 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lupines, White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, Partridge pea, White sweetclover.
More Arizona flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile SECO10.
- iNaturalist, Senna covesii: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Senna covesii (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Arizona: Arizona Native Plant Law protected plants (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-3 Art. 11, App. A, eff. Feb. 2, 2025).
- Arizona: Arizona prohibited noxious weeds (Ariz. Admin. Code R3-4-245).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Senna covesii (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: Joseph Rojas via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.