How to identify Coffee senna (Senna occidentalis)

How to identify Coffee senna (Senna occidentalis)

Coffee senna, also known as Mogdad Coffee, Stephanie Coffee, Styptic weed, Coffeeweed

Coffee senna is characterized by its erect and branching herbaceous form, typically reaching heights of up to 3 feet (91 cm). Its leaves are compound, with 4 to 5 pairs of leaflets per leaf, and lanceolate to elliptical shapes, generally 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 cm) in length. The leaflets possess a distinctive point at the tip. The yellow, five-petaled flowers are fairly conspicuous and develop into long, flat pods filled with seeds. The overall appearance of coffee senna is somewhat leggy, with green to brown stems.

Lifespan: Annual, Perennial

Plant Type: Herb, Shrub

Leaf Type: Deciduous

Quickly Identify Coffee senna

Erect herbaceous form, up to 3 feet (91 cm) tall.

Compound leaves with 4-5 pairs of lanceolate leaflets.

Bright yellow flowers with 5 sepals and 5 petals.

Distinctive elongated dark brown pods, 4-4.7 inches (10-12 cm) long.

Light green stout stem, up to 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter.

Detailed Traits of Coffee senna

Leaf Features

Coffee senna has compound pinnate leaves divided into 4-6 pairs of leaflets. The leaflets are oblong to elliptic, measuring about 1-4 inches (2.5-10 cm) long and 0.75-1.2 inches (2-3 cm) wide, with pointed tips. They are gray-green on the upper surface and finely puberulous on the lower surface. Each leaf petiole is around 1.2-1.6 inches (3-4 cm) long. The leaflets' texture is smooth (glabrous) on top and slightly hairy underneath.

Learn About the Leaf Glossary

Flower Features

The flowers of coffee senna are distinctive with their bright yellow coloring. Each flower features 5 yellow sepals and 5 yellow petals, arranged in short racemes. They contain 10 dark brown stamens. The flowers are typically 1/2 to 1 inch (1.27 to 2.54 cm) long, forming racemes or panicles. Coffee senna's flowers are often freely blooming and generally appear in clusters of 2 to 4. Their vibrant color and unique structure make them easily recognizable.

Learn About the Flower Glossary

Stem Features

The stem of coffee senna is light green and stout, forming a prominent central structure. It has an open branching pattern with younger stems that are distinctly 4-angled, gradually becoming rounded with age. The stems typically measure up to 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter. These characteristics make them unique and easily identifiable.

Learn About the Stem Glossary

Fruit Features

The fruit of coffee senna is a distinctive, elongated pod, which is dark brown in color and gently curves upwards. Measuring approximately 4 - 4.7 inches (10 - 12 cm) in length, the surface of the pod is smooth. Inside the pod, there are 30 - 40 flat seeds, each around 0.12 - 0.16 inches (3 - 4 mm) wide. The seeds present a unique olive-brown hue and are notably flattened at both ends. These characteristics make the fruit easily recognizable and are significant for anyone interested in plant identification.

Learn About the Fruit Glossary

A Botanist in Your Pocket

Scan QR code to download

More Plants You May Like and How to Identify Them

Cape jasmine

Gardenia jasminoides is an evergreen shrub with unique, glossy evergreen leaves and stunning flowers. The sophisticated, matte white flowers are often used in bouquets. The exceptional beauty of this ornamental plant has made it a popular and highly appreciated plant amongst gardeners and horticulturalists.

Golden pothos

The golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a popular houseplant that is commonly seen in Australia, Asia, and the West Indies. It goes by many nicknames, including "devil's ivy", because it is so hard to kill and can even grow in low light conditions. Golden pothos has poisonous sap, so it should be kept away from pets and children.

Tomato

Solanum lycopersicum is an annual or perennial herbaceous vine native to Central and South America that produces a large, juicy, edible fruit known as tomato. Today there are over 10000 cultivated varieties. Although tomato is the world’s most popular vegetable, botanically it is a fruit.

Pepper

The pepper are commonly used for cooking in places such as the Southern U.S. and Central America. Most are moderately spicy, though because there are so many variants, the spice level can vary dramatically. Cayenne powder is also a popular seasoning product made from pepper plants.

Swiss cheese plant

The swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa) produces bright, glossy leaves and makes a popular houseplant. It is originally native to tropical forest regions in Central America. The nickname swiss cheese plant refers to the small holes that develop in the plant's leaves. The long fruits resemble corncobs and smell sweet and fragrant when ripe.

Bigleaf hydrangea

The bigleaf hydrangea is a deciduous shrub native to Japan, and is known for its lush, oval, colorful inflorescence. The two types of Hydrangea macrophylla are mopheads - with large, ball-shaped, sterile flower clusters, and lace capes - with small round fertile flowers in the center, and sterile flowers on the outer side of each inflorescence. Depending on soil pH, blooms can change color from pink to blue.

Coffee senna and Their Similar Plants

Sicklepod vs. Coffee senna: What's The Difference?

The sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia) grows best in full sun and moist soil. It thrives in rocky dirt and nutrient-rich soil. For an annual plant, it's slow to develop and grows best late in its growing season.

Christmas bush vs. Coffee senna: What's The Difference?

Formerly known as Senna bicapsularis, but more commonly called the christmas bush, this attractive evergreen shrub can grow quite large. It features sunny yellow blooms that appear late in the fall and last through the frost.

Wild senna vs. Coffee senna: What's The Difference?

A versatile member of the legume species, wild senna features clusters of yellow-orange flowers, seed pods, and foliage that changes color in the fall. It once grew wild throughout the Northeastern United States but is now in a protected status. The seed pods are an important food source for the white bob bird, and bees find its pollen particularly attractive.

Maryland senna vs. Coffee senna: What's The Difference?

The foliage of maryland senna(Senna marilandica) gives off a malodorous scent when it's ground up. Because of the unpleasant taste, this species is usually ignored by deer.

Golden wonder tree vs. Coffee senna: What's The Difference?

Golden wonder tree is a deciduous tree with a height ranging from 2 to 15 m, fast-growing with a leafy canopy.

Silver Senna vs. Coffee senna: What's The Difference?

An Australian native, silver Senna is not only beautiful but so tough that it can grow as an understory plant to Eucalyptus and gum trees, which alter soil pH so much that almost nothing else can grow near them. This tree has some other unusual characteristics: it grows larger in dry shade than in full sun, and it yellows if given too much water instead of not enough.

Identify Coffee senna easily and quickly

We're also capable of identifying over 12,000 types of plants, flowers, succulents, and trees in your surroundings.

Identify a Plant Online

Key Facts About Coffee senna

Attributes of Coffee senna

Lifespan

Annual, Perennial

Plant Type

Herb, Shrub

Leaf Color

Green

Flower Size

2.5 cm to 5 cm

Flower Color

Yellow

Leaf type

Deciduous

Identify plants with a snap

Instantly identify plants with AI: Snap a photo, and get accurate results within seconds.

Download the App for Free

Scientific Classification of Coffee senna

Phylum

Vascular plants

Class

Dicotyledons

Order

Legumes, milkworts and allies

Family

Legume

Genus

Sennas

Species

Coffee senna (Senna occidentalis)

Learn More About the Coffee senna

Distribution Map of Coffee senna

Coffee senna flourishes in a wide range of tropical and subtropical regions across several continents. Native to extensive areas in Central and South America, parts of sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia, coffee senna has also been introduced to regions in the Middle East and islands in the Pacific. In some territories outside its native range, such as parts of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, coffee senna may have an impact on ecosystems, being considered invasive because it establishes itself readily in various habitats and potentially competes with local plant life.

Native

Cultivated

Invasive

Potentially invasive

Exotic

No species reported

Learn More About the Coffee senna

A Comprehensive Guide to Coffee senna How to Grow and Care for Coffee senna