Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Astragalus

Species:

Astragalus nuttallii var. virgatus

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

60 cm

Drought Tolerance:

High

Bloom Months:

apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

purple, white

Keystone Species Ranking

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

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

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, butterflies, native pollinators

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Tolerates prairie fires and may show increased vigor post-burn due to reduced competition and nutrient cycling.

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. Cold-moist stratification improves germination rates.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI