Original watercolor and pen illustration of a Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata). This piece was one of 12 original paintings created for my Native Plant Collection, which highlights the beauty and ecological importance of 12 wildflowers indigenous to the United States (and IL/MO, specifically).

Not only is Partridge Pea beautiful, but it has a myriad of ecological benefits. It's often planted to fix soil nitrogen and stop erosion. It serves as host plant for Little Yellow, Sleepy Orange, and Orange Sulphur Butterflies. And once it goes to seed, the pods are eaten by songbirds, mallards, turkey, and quail.