Goat's Rue
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Tephrosia virginiana
Commonly known as Goat's Rue, Virginia Tephrosia, Catgut, Devil's Shoestring, and Rabbit Pea.
A silky-hairy member of the pea family that typically grows to 1-2' tall on upright to sprawling stems. It is native to dry open woods, glades and sandy prairies in Eastern North America from Ontario to New Hampshire south to Texas and Florida. Stems and leaves are usually hairy often giving the plant a gray-green color. Flowers bloom late May to August in short racemes (to 3 1/2" long). The flowers of goat’s-rue resemble bi-colored sweet peas. Lower petals are pink; upper petals are pale yellow. Flowers give way to seed pods (to 3" long). Roots are nitrogen fixing. All parts of this plant are toxic, and should not be eaten by people or animals. Bees and other insects are attracted to the flower, and caterpillars and beetles feed on the foliage.
Best grown in acidic, dry to medium, well-drained, sandy loams in full sun to dappled shade (especially appreciates shade in Texas). Good resistance to drought once established. Once established, plants are best left alone because division and transplanting are difficult.
Height: 1'-2'
Spread: 8"-1.5'
Bloom: April-August
Light: Full Sun - Dappled Shade
Water: Low, Medium
Zone: 3 - 9
Origin: Texas, eastern North America
Spring Shipping:
Orders are shipped within 7-10 business days. We will email you if there are expected delays.
When you order plants from our nursery, you can expect them to arrive in the best possible condition. Our team carefully packs each order using sturdy, biodegradable packaging materials.
Your plants' appearance may vary depending on the season and their current growth stage. We may cut back the leafy growth of some plants to prepare them for shipment and transplanting.
5 Gallon and Up: Any plant purchased to ship over 5 Gallons will be shipped bare root. This means we will remove the plant from its original pot, remove the soil surrounding the roots, and wrap the roots with a biodegradable plastic bag. This reduces weight and the likelihood of damage during shipping.
Once your plants arrive, it is essential to plant them as soon as possible. This will help them rebound and thrive. If you cannot plant immediately, water regularly and keep the roots off heat-conducting surfaces.
Newly transplanted plants often require more water until their roots are well established. Plan to water them 1-3 times weekly for the first few months.
