Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Astragalus

Species:

Astragalus insularis var. insularis

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

30 cm

Drought Tolerance:

High

Bloom Months:

mar,apr,may

Bloom Colors:

purple, pink

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

Salt Tolerant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Typical of coastal sage scrub species, resprouts from root crown following fire. Benefits from post-fire nutrient pulses and reduced competition.

Source: Claude claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929 Batch

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

14–30 days

Notes:

Hard seed coat typical of Astragalus requires scarification. Germination improves with brief acid treatment or mechanical scarification followed by cold stratification.

Source: Claude claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929 Batch