Common Partridgepea. (Chamaecrista fasciculata)

Description:  A 2-3 ft-tall annual/biannual w abundant  yellow flowers,  attracting sulfurs and other butterflies

Natural Habitat:  Rock and sandy pinelands, open fields and grasslands.

Planting and Care:  Keep fairly moist initially, but does well in drier soil once established.  Flowers well in abundant sunlight.

Pros:  Attractive flowers, good as temporary anchoring plant amongst or behind smaller herbs and grasses.  Larval host plant for multiple butterflies:  ceraunus blue (Hemiargus ceraunus), cloudless sulphur (Phoebis sennae), little yellow (Eurema lisa) and gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus).  Reseeds spontaneously if ground is cleared.

Cons: Needs at least partial sun for best appearance. Annual. 

Note:  As ranges of butterflies can fluctuate over time,  planting host plant(s) may not automatically result in bringing a desired species to a given area.