Coves' cassia
Senna covesii
Last reviewed: November 2026
Coves' cassia (Senna covesii) is a perennial shrub native to AZ, CA, NM, NV. It blooms in March, April, May, September, and October. The flowers draw bees. It reads as an intentional, HOA-friendly planting in the right spot.
Watering reminders and freeze alerts for Coves' cassia, free in the app.
Toxicity unknown
Coves' cassia (Senna covesii) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.
Light
full sun
Water
low
Size
12"–36" H × 18"–36" W
Bloom
Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct
Native to
AZ, CA, NM, NV
Pollinators
bees
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 461 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaPicture natives in your own yard
Upload a photo of your yard and Patch Vision shows a rendering of it planted with natives for your region, like Coves' cassia.
Browse plants for this ecoregion
Low, silvery-leaved subshrub with soft gray-green compound leaves and bright yellow five-petaled flowers appearing after rains in spring and fall, growing on dry desert flats and rocky slopes.
Growing Coves' cassia
Grow Coves' cassia in full sun and low water. Mature plants reach 12 to 36 inches tall and spread 18 to 36 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.
In an HOA neighborhood
Coves' cassia is an HOA-friendly choice. Maintenance level: low. Tidiness: 3 out of 5.
Works well in: front yard, foundation, street edge, mid zone.
- Appears bare and stick-like during winter dormancy
- May look informal compared to traditional landscaping
Wildlife value
Host plant for cloudless sulphur, sleepy orange.
Foliage is a larval host plant for cloudless sulphur and sleepy orange butterflies, and the flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees.
Common questions
- How much sun does Coves' cassia need?
- Coves' cassia grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does Coves' cassia bloom?
- Coves' cassia blooms in March, April, May, September, and October.
- Where is Coves' cassia native?
- Coves' cassia (Senna covesii) is native to AZ, CA, NM, NV, per vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
- What butterflies or moths does Coves' cassia host?
- Coves' cassia is a larval host plant for cloudless sulphur and sleepy orange.
- Is Coves' cassia HOA-friendly?
- Coves' cassia is generally an HOA-friendly choice in the right placement, with low maintenance.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Coves' cassia? Add it to your garden in the Pollinator Patch App to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.