Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Astragalus

Species:

Astragalus mollissimus var. mollissimus

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

40 cm

Drought Tolerance:

High

Bloom Months:

apr,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:

Resprouts from root crown after fire. Common in prairie ecosystems with natural fire regimes.

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 benefits from scarification before cold stratification. Seed may have low germination rates even with treatment.

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