Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Astragalus

Species:

Astragalus glabellus

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Subshrub

Height:

60 cm

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

may,jun,jul

Bloom Colors:

purple, violet

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:

Prairie species that resprouts vigorously after fire. Fire removes thatch and stimulates flowering. Tolerates periodic burning typical of tallgrass prairie systems.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

14–30 days

Notes:

Seed coat scarification recommended before cold stratification. Seeds benefit from inoculation with appropriate Rhizobium bacteria for nitrogen fixation.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI