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Balloonpod milkvetch

Astragalus whitneyi

Also called Balloon milkvetch, Balloon milk-vetch, Whitney's Milkvetch, Balloon Pod Milk Vetch

Balloonpod milkvetch
Photo: Heptazane, CC BY 3.0

Balloonpod milkvetch is a perennial wild legume native to the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada of the western United States, known for its inflated, red or red-splotched seedpods. It is a wildflower of mountain habitats rather than a common garden plant, so it is grown mainly by native plant enthusiasts.

Family
Fabaceae (Pea & bean family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water sparingly once established; it tolerates dry summers typical of its native range.
Soil
Well-drained, gritty or rocky soil; avoid heavy wet clay.
Temperature
Hardy in cool temperate conditions; protect from prolonged heat and humidity.
How easy
Hard
Safety
Toxic: Astragalus species, including locoweeds, can contain selenium and other compounds that are harmful if eaten; avoid ingesting any part.
Native range
W. U.S.A.
Climate
temperate

About

Astragalus whitneyi is a species of legume known by the common name balloon-pod milk-vetch, balloon milk-vetch, or Whitney's locoweed. It is a native to the Cascade Range and the Sierra Nevada (U.S.) and is unusual for its bright red or red-splotched balloon-like seedpods.

Varieties include:

Other Astragalus plants

Astragalus aboriginum · Rogue River milkvetch · Sharp-leaved Milk Vetch · Sharpkeel milkvetch · Humboldt County milkvetch · Purple milkvetch · Cushenbury milkvetch · Astragalus alopecurus · Alpine milkvetch · Crescent milkvetch · Hermit Milkvetch · Anderson's milkvetch

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Astragalus whitneyi by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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