Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Astragalus

Species:

Astragalus bisulcatus

USDA Symbol:

ASBI2

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

100 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

High

Bloom Months:

may,jun,jul,aug

Bloom Colors:

purple, pink

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Caterpillars:

★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Keystone Species Ranking

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

★★★☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, native pollinators

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Responds positively to fire disturbance, resprouts from crown and root system. Commonly found in fire-maintained prairie ecosystems.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

alkaline, well-drained, sandy or gravelly soil

pH:

7.0 - 8.5 (neutral to slightly alkaline)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

dry to moderate

Notes:

often found in selenium-rich soils

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

10–30 days

Notes:

Seeds have hard seed coats requiring scarification. May benefit from hot water treatment or mechanical scarification before cold stratification.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI