Illinois Bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis)

A.k.a. Illinois bundle flower, Illinois mimosa, or prairie mimosa. An adaptable nitrogen fixer with handsome foliage, fine fern-like leaves, and distinctive seed pods! Related to the sensitive plant- leaves do not close when touched, but do close at night and on sunny days to conserve moisture. Excellent for lush space fill and winter interest. Plants are high in protein, so eagerly eaten by rabbits and deer- make sure to protect young plants!

Light: Full Sun, Part Sun/Shade

Soil Moisture: Wet Mesic, Mesic

Soil Type: Adaptable

Height: 2’-4’

Bloom Color: White

Bloom Time: Jun-Jul

Root Type: Rhizome ?

Notable Wildlife Interactions: Flowers attract small bees and flies. Seeds are eaten by game birds such as pheasant and quail. Readily browsed by mammals.

Notes: As the foliage is high value for herbivores, it is occasionally used to seed pastures. However, it is so readily eaten that it has difficulty surviving if livestock aren’t quickly rotated away. It thrives in open areas with some amount of disturbance but does not respond well to fire management, making large-scale management somewhat tricky outside of well balanced ecosystems or well managed pasture land.