Post by blueadzuki on May 8, 2012 6:34:57 GMT -5
Hi,
I am contemplating getting some seed for ground plum, Astragalus crassicarpus and before I do, I was wondering if there was anyone out there who had experiance with it and coud answer a few questions.
1. For those who have grown it, what kind of watering situation will it accept. I know the plant is common to quite a lot of the Middle south to southwest (New Mexico, Texas etc.) and is often offered by those seed companies that specialize in desert plants so it is presumably rather tolerant of drought. My question is, is it merely tolerant of lack of water, or is it full on xeric, where having the amount of water common in wetter areas will acutally kill it or keep it from growing? One map I found has it growing all the way through the Midwest and up into NW Canada, so I assume it must be able to handle some rain but I don't know how much.
2. For those who have eaten it, how does it taste, roughly? I seem to have found conflicting information on this. One site says the "fruits" (swollen pods) are quite sweet and fruit like in flavor (as suggested by the name), one says they taste like snap peas (as would be logical given the plant is a legume) and one says they should not be eaten at all (on the grounds that the Astragalus genus contains some members that are confirmed poisonous, so all members should be assumed to be (shaky logic, I think)
I am contemplating getting some seed for ground plum, Astragalus crassicarpus and before I do, I was wondering if there was anyone out there who had experiance with it and coud answer a few questions.
1. For those who have grown it, what kind of watering situation will it accept. I know the plant is common to quite a lot of the Middle south to southwest (New Mexico, Texas etc.) and is often offered by those seed companies that specialize in desert plants so it is presumably rather tolerant of drought. My question is, is it merely tolerant of lack of water, or is it full on xeric, where having the amount of water common in wetter areas will acutally kill it or keep it from growing? One map I found has it growing all the way through the Midwest and up into NW Canada, so I assume it must be able to handle some rain but I don't know how much.
2. For those who have eaten it, how does it taste, roughly? I seem to have found conflicting information on this. One site says the "fruits" (swollen pods) are quite sweet and fruit like in flavor (as suggested by the name), one says they taste like snap peas (as would be logical given the plant is a legume) and one says they should not be eaten at all (on the grounds that the Astragalus genus contains some members that are confirmed poisonous, so all members should be assumed to be (shaky logic, I think)