Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Astragalus

Species:

Astragalus inflatus

USDA Symbol:

ASIN20

Growth Characteristics

Height:

40 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

High

Bloom Months:

apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

white, cream, purple

Keystone Species Ranking

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

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

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, small mammals

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Can resprout from root crown following fire; typical of Great Basin legumes adapted to periodic disturbance.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

sandy, well-drained, low fertility soil

pH:

6.0 - 8.0 (neutral to slightly alkaline)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

dry to moderate

Notes:

native to arid desert regions

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

14–45 days

Notes:

Hard seed coat requires scarification; cold stratification improves germination rates. Seeds may have erratic germination typical of Astragalus.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI