Astragalus mongholicus aka Membranous Milk Vetch

Astragalus mongholicus lives for more than one year. It belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae. Its names include Mongolian astragalus and Mongolian milk vetch. Kew lists its home range as Siberia and the Russian Far East. It also lists western and northern China. Plants For A Future adds Mongolia and Kazakhstan. The plant grows in regions with a temperate climate. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

The plant grows about 2.6 feet [0.8 metres] tall. In the wild, it grows in dry scrub and larch forest. It lives in lower and middle mountain belts. It grows on sand, stones, pebbles, and rocky ground. The sources give no leaf or stem details for this species. They give no measure of its spread, either. These gaps limit what we can say about its garden form.

Plants For A Future lists blooms from June through August. Each flower has both male and female organs. Bees, moths, and butterflies help the flowers set seed through pollination. Seeds ripen from July through September. The evidence gives no flower colour or fruit shape. The plant fixes nitrogen with help from bacteria. These live in root nodules, or small lumps. Some of that nitrogen helps the plant grow. Plants near it may gain some benefit, too.

Plants For A Future lists sun and dry soil that drains well. Its species notes list both sandy soil and loam. They also list mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline soil. The source gives USDA hardiness zones 5–9. Yet its growing notes question whether it withstands British cold. Those notes draw on the wider genus. Some of this guidance thus remains in doubt. The source lists garden beds as a place to grow it. It reports no weed risk. The evidence names no pests or diseases for this species.

Plants For A Future lists no known food uses. It rates the plant three out of five for medicinal use. People have used the root for a range of ailments. These include sweating, long-term ulcers, and some kidney problems. The source notes effects on how the heart works. It also notes effects on urine flow and blood vessels. These records do not prove home use is safe. Its hazard notes cover the wider genus, not just this species. They do not settle whether this plant is toxic. Apart from medicine, its clearest supported use is to fix nitrogen.