Astragalus crassicarpus

      Look that up in your Funk & Wagnalls and you'll find its common name, Groundplum Milkvetch. So, how much did that help you? While more or less patiently waiting for tire repair Kaia and repaired to a pasture for my walk and her run. The short grass is not nesting habitat so Kaia can run to her hearts content without disturbing nesting birds.

    In addition to doggy and human exercise the point of the walk was to look for native fauna. That's where Goundplum Milkvetch comes into the story. The pasture on which we walked/ran has never been plowed. Invasive smooth brome grass is the predominant species. It's a warm weather grass imported from the steppes of Russia. With its early growth and vigor it out-competes native grasses. If you have a lawn you may see some of its wider, taller leaves among your bluegrass. Brome is a good pasture grass so it's not all bad.

    In another pasture native grasses are making a slow come-back. This is happening because a farmer grazes his cattle on it until July. He moved the cattle this week to graze on the smooth brome grass. This allows the late summer native grasses; primarily big and little bluestem, opportunity to flourish. Early burning would more quickly accomplish this restoration but it's in place where it would be difficult to control the fire.

    It's gratifying to find a native forb like Groudplum growing in a difficult environment. It has survived weed spray, competition from brome grass and grazing livestock. The berries of Groundplum are edible, said to taste like peas. Perhaps later in the summer I'll sample them.

Takk for alt,

Al

 

Flower:  

Racemes of 5 to 15 pea-shaped flowers. Flowers are about ¾ inch long with an erect broad egg-shaped upper petal, notched at the tip, and 2 small lower petals that are mostly horizontal. The tubular calyx holding the flower is purple tinged with several prong-like appendages at the tip end. Flower color ranges from pinkish purple to lavender to blue-violet. A plant has several to many clusters on stalks up to 4 inches long arising from the leaf axils.   From Minnesota Wildflower.

Groundplum Milkvetch growing in the pasture.