Buckroot
Psoralea canescens

Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae

What it is like

Psoralea canescens is a PERENNIAL. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 0

Where it is found

Sandy woods.

Eastern N. America - Florida, north to Vancouver.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Root - raw or cooked. The root can also be dried and ground into a powder then used in soups or mixed with cereals for making bread etc.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 1

A poultice of the wet, warmed root has been used as an analgesic dressing on painful areas of the body. An infusion of the roots has been used as a herbal steam in the treatment of runny noses, stuffy heads, coughs and sore throats.

Analgesic: Relieves pain.

Miscellany: Various medicinal actions that need more clarification.

Other

Rating:

Valuable under natural conditions as a soil stabilizer.

Miscellany: A rag-bag of items that are difficult to categorise.

Soil stabilization: Plants that can be grown in places such as sand dunes in order to prevent erosion by wind, water or other agents.

Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil

How it is grown

We have very little information for this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors at least in the milder parts of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Succeeds in an ordinary garden soil. Requires a well-drained soil in a sunny position. Plants are very intolerant of root disturbance, they are best planted out into their permanent positions whilst still small. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby.

Propagating it: Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in early to mid spring in a greenhouse. Either sow the seed in individual pots or pot up the young seedlings as soon as possible in order to avoid root disturbance. Grow them on in the pots until planting out in their final positions. It is usually impossible to transplant this species without fatal damage to the root. Division in spring. With great care since the plant resents root disturbance. It is virtually impossible to divide this species successfully.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness:

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Although no specific mention of toxicity for this species has been found, at least some members of this genus contain furanocoumarins, these substances can cause photosensitivity in some people.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Pediomelum canescens. (Michx.)Rydb.