Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Astragalus

Species:

Astragalus missouriensis var. missouriensis

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

25 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, small mammals

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Prairie-adapted species that resprouts from crown and root system after fire. Benefits from periodic burning which reduces competition and stimulates flowering.

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 requires scarification or hot water treatment before cold stratification. Germination can be erratic even with proper treatment.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI