Bush Pea or Aaron’s Rod

Bush Pea or Aaron’s Rod[Thermopsis villosa] found at WNC Nature Center on 30 April 2016 and on Givens Estates on 1 May 2016. It’s a member of the Pea (Fabaceae or Leguminosae) family. Wild Flowers of North Carolina, page 99, states that it is “a close relative ot the Baptisia,” and they “grow in clearings or along forest margins in a few of our western counties.” It also states that they bloom May-June. It was mistaken for Yellow Wild Indigo, but these flowers form a raceme. It’s also given the nameBlue Ridge false lupine.

USDA Plants Listing: Thermopsis villosa

Bush Pea at WNC Nature Center - 30 April 2016

Bush Pea at WNC Nature Center – 30 April 2016

Bush Pea (leaf detail) - 30 April 2016

Bush Pea (leaf detail) – 30 April 2016

Bush Pea at Givens Estates - 1 May 2016

Bush Pea at Givens Estates – 1 May 2016

Bush Pea - 1 May 2016

Bush Pea – 1 May 2016