Astragalus canadensis

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Astragalus canadensis
Light:Full Sun
Moisture:Xeric
Hardiness:8
Soil pH:5.6-8.4
Height:3'
Blooms:Mid Summer
Native to:
Nitrogen Fixer
Edible Rating:PFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility RatingPFAF Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating:PFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal RatingPFAF Medicinal Rating
Tea:Yes
Poisonous

Astragalus canadensis (common name: canadian milkvetch)

Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[1]. A period of cold stratification may help stored seed to germinate[1]. Stored seed, and perhaps also fresh seed, should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in hot water before sowing - but make sure that you do not cook the seed[2][1]. Any seed that does not swell should be carefully pricked with a needle, taking care not to damage the embryo, and re-soaked for a further 24 hours[2][1]. Germination can be slow and erratic but is usually within 4 - 9 weeks or more at 13°c if the seed is treated or sown fresh[2]. As soon as it is large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Cultivation: Requires a dry well-drained soil in a sunny position[3].

This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[1].

Plants are intolerant of root disturbance and are best planted in their final positions whilst still small[1].

This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1]. Many members of this genus can be difficult to grow, this may be due partly to a lack of their specific bacterial associations in the soil[1].

Range: Central and eastern N. America - Quebec to Saskatchewan, New York, Louisiana, Nebraska and Utah.

Habitat: Shores and rich thickets[4]. Rocky and sandy thickets in Texas[5].

Edibility: Root - raw or boiled[6][7][8][9][10]. They were often used in a broth[11]. The roots are gathered in spring or autumn[12]. Some caution is advised, if the root is bitter it could be due to the presence of toxic alkaloids[13].

Medicinal: The root is analgesic and antihaemorrhagic[11]. It can be chewed or used as a tea to treat chest and back pains, coughs and the spitting up of blood[11]. A decoction of the root is used as a febrifuge for children[14][11]. A poultice made from the chewed root has been used to treat cuts[11].

Pollinators: Bees, lepidoptera

Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.

Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.

Flower Type: Hermaphrodite

Known Hazards: Many members of this genus contain toxic glycosides[13]. All species with edible seedpods can be distinguished by their fleshy round or oval seedpod that looks somewhat like a greengage[15]. A number of species can also accumulate toxic levels of selenium

Also Known As: A. carolinianus. L.

Links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Rice, Graham. Growing from Seed Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan, 1988.
  3. ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
  4. ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
  5. ↑ Diggs, George and Barney Lipscomb. Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute, 1999.
  6. ↑ Douglas, James. Alternative Foods.
  7. ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
  8. ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
  9. ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
  10. ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
  12. ↑ Yanovsky, Elias. Food Plants of the North American Indians Publication 237. US Department of Agriculture.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.
  14. ↑ Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.
  15. ↑ Harrington, Harold. Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. University of New Mexico Press, 1967.


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