Senna pallida aka Twin Flowered Cassia

Senna pallida is a woody shrub or small tree. It belongs to Fabaceae, the pea and bean family. Its native range runs from Mexico through the American tropics. Useful Tropical Plants lists it across Central America. It also lists parts of South America. These include Brazil, Peru, Colombia, and Venezuela. It grows on several Caribbean islands, too. These include Cuba and the Bahamas. The RHS lists Cassia biflora as a synonym, or another name. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

The plant has thin branches and a shrub-like or small-tree form. Useful Tropical Plants gives a height of about 10 feet [3 metres]. Its fuller account gives a range of 3–16 feet [1–5 metres]. These figures do not show a usual size in gardens. The sources give no width or details of its bark. Captions for this species show flowers that tend to grow in pairs. Other captions note young seedpods but do not give their size. The sources give no detailed account of the leaves.

Wild plants grow on plains and hillsides with scrub cover. They grow in both damp and dry sites. They also grow in pine and oak woods. Most records come from lower ground. The species also reaches about 5,900 feet [1,800 metres] above sea level. Kew places it in the wet tropical climate group. These records show where it grows in the wild. They do not show how much water it needs in gardens. The sources give no frost limits. They do not state its soil or light needs.

Useful Tropical Plants says insects pollinate this species. It lists seed as a way to grow new plants. It gives no steps for treating or sowing seed. It also states that this species does not fix nitrogen. In this way, it differs from many plants in its family. The account covers wild plants, not tested garden care. It gives no growth rate or bloom season. It lists no records of pests or disease.

People gather branches from wild plants to make brooms and brushes. This is the practical use the sources record. Useful Tropical Plants lists no known food uses. It lists no known uses in medicine, either. It also lists no known hazards. This does not prove the plant is safe to eat. The sources give no separate review of risks to pets.