# How to Plant Senna
A member of the pea family, senna, or Cassia corymbosa, Senna corymbosa or flowering senna, is a flowering, semi-evergreen to deciduous bush. A favorite of butterflies, mature senna specimens are capable of reaching heights of 8 feet with an equal branch spread. Bright yellow flowers dapple the deep green foliage repeatedly throughout the growing season. The successful planting of senna in the backyard landscape is dependent on choosing the appropriate location. Senna favors well-drained soil that receives at least six to eight hours of full sun.
Things You'll Need
- Pitchfork
- Soil testing kit
- Lime or peat moss
Instructions
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Break up the soil before planting the senna plants. Loosen it with a pitchfork, creating a fine planting soil. Test the soil afterward using a soil testing kit purchased from a garden center. Senna prefers to grow in soil that has a pH between 6.6 and 7.5.
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Amend the soil if the pH test is out of range. Mix lime in with the soil for a pH reading below 6.6 or peat moss if the reading is above 7.5. Check the package label on the amendment for allocation amounts and methods.
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Create planting holes for your senna plants. Space each hole at least 48 inches from the next. The holes should be equal in size to the nursery container that is presently holding the plants.
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Slide the senna plants out of their nursery containers and set one in the center of each hole. Backfill each hole and pat the soil around the main stem of each plant to remove air pockets.
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Water the senna plants deeply, saturating the soil to a 1-inch depth after planting. Offer the senna plants weekly waterings at a rate of 1 inch of water per week until established.
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