Astragalus edulis aka Milkvetch

Astragalus edulis is a small annual, in the pea family, Fabaceae. An annual lives for one year. Plants For A Future calls it milkvetch. Kew gives its native range as southeastern Spain and northwestern Africa. In Spain, this range includes Almería. Plants For A Future also lists Morocco, western Algeria, and Fuerteventura. Kew calls its climate subtropical. Records place it in grassland and along the Sahara’s edge.

This plant grows about 1 foot (0.3 metres) tall. Both Kew and Plants For A Future call it an annual. Yet the latter’s growing notes describe a woody plant. Those notes draw on broad advice for the genus. They should not take the place of this species’ life-cycle account. The evidence gives no mature width or detailed leaf account. It also lacks clear facts on flower colour and fruit form.

Each flower has both male and female organs. Bees, moths, and butterflies carry pollen between the flowers. The evidence does not say which months this species blooms. Plants For A Future says it can fix nitrogen. It lists garden beds as a place to grow it. Keep its small size in mind when planning such a bed. The source gives no set use for looks or display.

The species account calls for an open site with no shade. It favours dry soil that drains well. Both sandy soil and loam suit it. Its stated pH range goes from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. These needs point to a sunny site that drains well. They do not show how much frost the plant can bear. The source leaves its hardiness in Britain in doubt. This evidence does not support a firm hardiness zone.

Plants For A Future lists cooked seeds as food. You may use the seeds fresh or after drying. The source gives the plant a modest food-use rating. It lists no known use as medicine or other non-food use. This lack of known uses does not prove complete safety. The hazard notes refer to other plants in the genus. They do not show that this species is toxic. The evidence lists no pests or diseases specific to this species. Plants For A Future does not flag it as weedy.