Milk Vetch, Licorice milkvetch
Astragalus glycyphyllos
Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae
What it is like
Astragalus glycyphyllos is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3. It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). It can fix Nitrogen. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry soil.
Height (m): 0.2
Where it is found
Rough grassy and bushy places.
Much of Europe, including Britain, though rare in the south, east to the Caucasus and W. Asia.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed
Countries/locations it is found in
Much of Europe, including Britain, though rare in the south, east to the Caucasus and W. Asia. The USDA database lists Astragalus glycyphyllos as introduced to some of the L48 (Lower 48 States), and Canada.
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
The herb is occasionally used as a tea. The root is said to be a liquorice substitute, but certainly not from the point of view of taste.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 4
Agroforestry Services: nitrogen, understory legume. Fodder: pasture. Provides shelter for beneficial invertebrates: insects and other arthropods. A general nectary plant. Groundcover.
Fodder: Food given to the animals (including plants cut and carried to them) rather than forage for themselves.
Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen: Plants that contribute to nitrogen fixation include the legume family – Fabaceae.
Agroforestry Services: Understory legume: Legume vegetation, especially the trees and shrubs growing between the forest canopy and the forest floor.
Fodder: Pasture: Enclosed tracts of farmland mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs (non-grass herbaceous plants).
Management: Fodder: Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Management: Hay: Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.
Agroforestry Services: Nitrogen: Plants that contribute to nitrogen fixation include the legume family – Fabaceae.
Agroforestry Services: Understory legume: Legume vegetation, especially the trees and shrubs growing between the forest canopy and the forest floor.
Fodder: Pasture: Enclosed tracts of farmland mainly of grasses, with an interspersion of legumes and other forbs (non-grass herbaceous plants).
Management: Fodder: Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Management: Hay: Cut to the ground and harvested annually. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.
Minor Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world, but on a smaller scale than the global perennial staple and industrial crops, The annual value of a minor global crop is under $1 billion US. Examples include shea, carob, Brazil nuts and fibers such as ramie and sisal.
Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife
Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.
Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.
Ground Cover: Ground Cover
Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
Requires a well-drained soil in a sunny position. Prefers chalk and limestone soils, succeeding in grassland. The leaves emit a sweet, aromatic scent when handled. Plants are intolerant of root disturbance and are best planted in their final 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. Many members of this genus can be difficult to grow, this may be due partly to a lack of their specific bacterial associations in the soil. Carbon farming - Cultivation: Management: hay, fodder. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is clumping, giving the plant a clumping habit. The predictable growth behaviour makes it easier to maintain without having to apply containment methods.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. A period of cold stratification may help stored seed to germinate. Stored seed, and perhaps also fresh seed, should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in hot water before sowing - but make sure that you do not cook the seed. Any seed that does not swell should be carefully pricked with a needle, taking care not to damage the embryo, and re-soaked for a further 24 hours. Germination can be slow and erratic but is usually within 4 - 9 weeks or more at 13°c if the seed is treated or sown fresh. As soon as it is large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Best place to grow: Meadow; Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 3-7
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Dry
Things to keep in mind
Many members of this genus contain toxic glycosides. All species with edible seedpods can be distinguished by their fleshy round or oval seedpod that looks somewhat like a greengage. A number of species can also accumulate toxic levels of selenium when grown in soils that are relatively rich in that element.
Its other names
Local names
Milk Vetch, Licorice milkvetch