milkvetch close up

Milkvetch – Plant

LATIN NAME
Astragalus lindheimeri

LONGEVITY
Perennial

SEASON
Warm

ORIGIN
Native

DETAILS:

  • Also known as, “Lindheimer milkvetch”.
  • Flowers March to May.
  • Adapted to gravelly limestone soils where vegetation in sparse. Prairie hillsides, rocky bluffs, brushy ravines, stream valleys, and roadsides.
  • This plant is quite conspicuous in the areas where it occurs. The flowers often open before the leaves have fully developed giving the appearance of solid patches of purple.
  • Very aromatic and omits a pleasant, grape-like smell.
  • Milkvetch is often confused with the true vetches (Vicia spp.), but lacks the tendrils of vetches.
  •  Is preferred by deer and is occasionally grazed by livestock.
  • Although closely related to “Locoweeds”, it is not toxic to livestock.

QUALITY TRAITS