Astragalus crassicarpus var. berlandieri
Origin: Texas
Improvement status: Wild
Seeds per packet: ~40
Germination tested 12/2024: 50%
Life cycle: Perennial
Berlandier's Groundplum is a rare native plant subspecies endemic to the state of Texas, but closely related to the wider population of groundplum (or buffalo plum) found across a broader swathe of western North America. Related to the famous Chinese medicinal herb Astragalus propinquus (formerly A. membranaceus), buffalo plum also has a history of medicinal use, but it is most widely used as a food. It is a wild plant that has long been foraged in its native range for its edible underripe seedpod. The plant is a legume, with vetch-like leaves and pretty purple flowers, but the pod is quite different from most legume pods: it's round and looks very much like a plum! (Some might more accurately say a large gooseberry.) The taste is said to be something similar to a sweet pea, sometimes with some sourness, and when cooked it tastes like green beans. The pod is the only part of the plant that's edible, and there are lookalikes out there that are poisonous, so we recommend growing it yourself unless you are completely certain of an identification out in the field.
We got our initial stock seed from the USDA's National Plant Germplasm System. That seed came into the government's collection in 1954 from the Madrid Botanical Garden in Spain, where it was grown under the now-retired name Astragalus mexicanus. It very much resembles other buffalo plums, except the pod is a vivid red color (instead of green or reddish green) and the seeds are yellow instead of brown or black. The seeds we're offering here were grown for us by our friend Laura Parker of High Desert Seeds in Colorado. This plant is very hard to come by in the seed trade, so we're very excited to be offering it!
GROWING TIPS: Seeds need some special treatment for germination. While some proportion of seeds may sprout with no pre-treatment, germination is likely improved by utilizing at least one of the following treatments: 1) Hot water - pour near-boiling water over the seeds and then soak for 24 hours before planting. 2) Scarification - rub seeds between medium-grit sandpaper until seedcoat is distressed, then soak for 24 hours before planting. 3) Cold-moist stratification in the fridge for 60 days. Or 4) Plant outdoors in the fall. Given we're providing a good amount of seeds, we recommend trying at least a couple of these methods! And please let us know how they do for you!
Plants do best in full sun.
NOTE: Photo of ripening pods is courtesy Marilyn McBroom Knight. Photos of flowers are from Laura's actual grow-out of these seeds.
