Specklepod Milkvetch (Astragalus diphysus)

Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae | Edibility: Edible (3/5)

Astragalus diphysus is a PERENNIAL. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry soil.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Nuts/Seeds, Roots/Tubers

Harvest Seasons: Fall, Late Summer, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Seed - cooked. Seedpods - raw, cooked or dried for later use. The boiled and salted pods are considered to be a special treat. Roots - raw or cooked. The fleshy roots are eaten fresh. — Seedpods - raw, cooked or dried for later use.; The boiled and salted pods are considered to be a special treat.; Roots - raw or cooked.; The fleshy roots are eaten fresh.

Habitat & North American Range

Sandy plains, mesas and rocky slopes in canyons, sometimes on dunes or along sandy roadsides in yucca grassland or piñon or juniper forests, 1500 - 2200 metres. (Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8)