Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Astragalus

Species:

Astragalus canadensis var. mortonii

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

120 cm

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

jun,jul,aug

Bloom Colors:

white, cream

Keystone Species Ranking

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

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

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, butterflies, birds

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Prairie species that resprouts from rootstock after fire. Benefits from periodic burning which reduces woody competition and stimulates vigorous growth.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

14–30 days

Notes:

Scarification improves germination rates. Seeds may benefit from hot water treatment or mechanical scarification due to hard seed coat typical of legumes.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI