Hedysarum alpinum
| Hedysarum alpinum | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Hedysarum alpinum (common name: alpine sweetvetch)
Propagation: Seed - sow in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe or in the spring[1]. Stored seed should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in warm water. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.
Division in spring. Great care is needed since the plant dislikes root disturbance[1].
Cultivation: Easily grown in ordinary garden soil in a sunny position, preferring a deep well-drained sandy loam[2][1].
Plants strongly resent root disturbance and should be placed in their permanent positions as soon as possible[2].
The var. H. alpinum americanum. Michx. is used for food[3][4].
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].
Range: N. America. to N. Asia.
Habitat: Calcareous rocks and gravelly soils, north to Alaska[5]. Swampy meadows and swamps in China[6].
Edibility: Root - raw or cooked[3][4]. A carrot-like flavour[7]. The root can be harvested from autumn until spring, it tastes best after some frosts[8].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: H. americanum. H. boreale. Hort. non Nutt.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Lyndon, Merritt. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co, 1950.
- ↑ Flora of China. 1994.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.