Amicia zygomeris

As perennials go, this Mexican Pea Tribe member is staggeringly impressive. From a woody base, there appears in spring stout stems reaching 8 feet.. On a mature plant, these stems are numerous and it becomes a dominant seasonal shrub. Pinnate leaves with 4 leaflets, large discoidal purple-veined stipules and big yellow flowers in fall. If we were completely honest with ourselves, it is a safe bet that we all love large discoidal purple-veined stipules but we might not mention that to our parents at the Thanksgiving dinner table.