Ground nut, Cinnamon Vine, American potato bean, Apios, Bog potato, Kopniss
Apios americana

Family: Fabaceae

What it is like

A herb. It is a twining vine. It grows 3-4 m long. The leaves have 5 to 7 leaflets. The flowers are in the axils of leaves. The flowers range from pink to purple. They are in long racemes. The pods are about 8 cm long. The tubers are 5 cm long and form on the rhizomes. They are 5-8 cm below ground.

There are 10 Apios species. For a tuber the roots are high in protein.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in moist woods. It suits moist acid soils with a pH of 5 to 7. It needs a protected and partly shaded position. It suits hardiness zones 3-10.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mediterranean, North America (country/location of origin), USA

How it is used for food

The underground tubers and roots are eaten raw, boiled, fried or roasted. They can be added to soups, stews and casseroles. They are mashed and used in bread. The tubers can be boiled in maple syrup to make a preserve. The seeds are eaten. The pods can be roasted and eaten.

It has been an important food amongst indigenous people in the USA.

Edible parts

Tuber, root, seeds, pods

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed or tubers. Tubers need some cold treatment to break their dormancy.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Apios tuberosa Moench; Glycine apios L.;