White Moneywort
Alysicarpus vaginalis
- Native to:
- Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bismarck Archipelago, Borneo, Burkina, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, China, Comoros, Congo, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Gabon, Ghana, Guam, Gulf of Guinea Is., Gulf States, Hainan, India, Jawa, Kenya, Laccadive Is., Laos, Lesser Sunda Is., Madagascar, Malaya, Maldives, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, New Guinea, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Philippines, Réunion, Rodrigues, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Socotra, Solomon Is., South Africa, South China Sea, Sri Lanka, Sudan-South Sudan, Sumatera, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Uganda, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Forest & Kim Starr (www.hear.org)
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Alysicarpus
- Species:
- Alysicarpus vaginalis
- USDA Symbol:
- ALVA2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual | Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 60 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep,oct
- Bloom Colors:
- red, orange, pink
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- well-drained, sandy to loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- adaptable to various soil types
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Scarification or hot water treatment improves germination rates. Seeds have hard coats typical of legumes.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI