Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Astragalus

Species:

Astragalus cinereus

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

50 cm

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

may,jun,jul

Bloom Colors:

white, cream, pale yellow

Keystone Species Ranking

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

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

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, native pollinators

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

As a prairie legume, exhibits fire tolerance and may resprout from root crown after fire. Benefits from periodic fire in prairie ecosystems.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

10–30 days

Notes:

Legume seeds benefit from scarification followed by cold stratification. Germination may be improved with inoculation of appropriate Rhizobium bacteria.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI