Lotus tetragonolobus
| Lotus tetragonolobus | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 1' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Lotus tetragonolobus (common name: asparagus pea)
Propagation: Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in situ in the spring[1]. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 4 weeks at 15°c.
If seed is in short supply, it can be sown in pots in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in late spring or early summer[1].
Cultivation: Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil[2], preferring a rich light well-drained soil in a sunny position[1].
Occasionally cultivated for its edible young seedpods and also as an ornamental plant[3][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[4]. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.
Range: Europe - Mediterranean.
Habitat: Cultivated ground and vineyards.
Edibility: Young seedpods - raw or cooked[3][5][1]. Added to salads, cooked as a vegetable or added to soups, stews etc[6]. The taste is said to resemble asparagus[6]. Only the very young pods, when less than 25mm long, should be used, since the older pods quickly turn fibrous[6]. Considered by many to be a gourmet food, though it is not a very high yielding crop[K].
Seed - cooked. Used like peas[7][8][6].
The roasted seed is used as a coffee substitute[5][6].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Early Fall-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Tetragonolobus purpurea. Moench.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Organ, John. Rare Vegetables for Garden and Table. Faber, 1960.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Simons, Arthur. New Vegetable Growers Handbook. Penguin, 1977.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Vilmorin-Andrieux. The Vegetable Garden. Ten Speed Press.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.