Salton Milkvetch
Astragalus crotalariae
- Native to:
- Mexico, United States
Wikimedia: Pkravchenko
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Astragalus
- Species:
- Astragalus crotalariae
- USDA Symbol:
- ASCR5
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 60 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may,jun
- Bloom Colors:
- purple, violet
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
Alfalfa Looper (Autographa californica), Euxoa declarata, Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Queen Alexandra's Sulphur (Colias alexandra), Western Tailed-Blue (Everes amyntula)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, native pollinators
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Occurs in fire-maintained cedar glades and barrens. Benefits from periodic fire to reduce woody encroachment and maintain open glade habitat.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- native to arid regions; prefers open, sunny areas
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Legume seeds benefit from scarification or hot water treatment before cold stratification. Germination may be erratic without proper seed treatment.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI