I caught a glimpse of this Lindheimer’s senna (Senna lindheimeriana) at Wild Basin last week, when its velvety leaves and bright yellow flowers caught my eye.
According to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s Native Plant Information Network, this plant is named after Ferdinand Lindheimer, who is known as the “Father of Texas Botany” because he was the first person to document several hundred plant species in Central Texas. In addition to the Lindheimer’s senna, 47 other plant species or sub-species have been named after him.
This native plant could be incorporated into a home garden in the Austin area — it’s drought tolerant, deer resistant, and is known to attract birds and butterflies. For more information on this plant species, check out the NPIN page here.
My iNaturalist observation can be found here.