Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Astragalus

Species:

Astragalus hypogaeus

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb , Subshrub

Height:

15 cm

Drought Tolerance:

High

Bloom Months:

apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

purple, pink

Ground Cover:

Yes

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:

Tolerates periodic fire typical of prairie ecosystems; can resprout from crown after burning. Benefits from fire-maintained open habitat.

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 is hard and impermeable; scarification improves germination rates. Seeds may benefit from brief acid treatment or mechanical scarification.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI