Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Astragalus

Species:

Astragalus spaldingii

USDA Symbol:

ASSP4

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

50 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

may,jun,jul

Bloom Colors:

cream, white, purple-tipped

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

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

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

good drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers undisturbed native prairie habitats

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

14–30 days

Notes:

Scarification improves germination rates. Seeds may have hard seed coat requiring mechanical or acid scarification followed by cold stratification.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI