Family: Legume (Fabaceae)

Hardy to zones 4 to 10 (mulch heavily in colder zones)

(Astragalus membranaceus = Astragalus propinquus = Astragalus mongholicus, the Chinese herb Huang-qi, Huang qi)  Herbaceous perennial native to China. Traditional usage (TCM): increase vital energy and protect against illness. Plants get quite large, flowering to 5 feet, with yellow flowers giving way to pea-like follicles.  Plant is a sturdy survivor, and prefers full sun, average soil, and good drainage.  A deep, sandy, unobstructed soil will encourage large, deep taproots, which are the part used in TCM.   In the spring or fall, scarify seed lightly on medium grit sandpaper and soak overnight.  Alternatively, drop seeds in just-boiled water, stir for 60 seconds, then add cold water until the mix is luke warm and soak overnight.  Then, inoculate seed with a broadscale rhizobium inoculant that contains Mesorhizobium species of rhizobacteria.  Otherwise, inoculate the starting mix with soil taken from around healthy astragalus plants, or plant in an area where astragalus is already growing healthily.  All this is to encourage nitrogen fixation.  Even simply growing the plant in an area where legumes have been grown in the past (red clover or oats/peas covercrop, for example) will help.  Once the plants start to grow healthily, it means they have sequestered the necessary rhizobia from the substrate.  Direct seed in early spring or start in pots in the greenhouse, or start in the fall.   Germ in 3 to 10 days.    Transplant or thin to 6 inches apart.

Packet contains 30 Seeds
1 g contains ~250 seeds
5 g contains ~1,250 seeds
10 g contains ~2,500 seeds

Certified Organically Grown