Practical
Plants

Hedysarum vicioides

a perennial member of the Hedysarum genus in the family Leguminosae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1.2 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Root - raw, cooked or dried and ground into a powder[5].

Plant part
Root

Ecology and functions

Nitrogen fixer

Environment

Range
E. Asia - N. Korea to E. Siberia.
Habitat
Sandy to gravelly slopes in high mountains or grassy places in lower districts of Japan[4]. River banks in E. Siberia[5]. Forests and subalpine meadows at elevations of 2500 - 3200 metres[3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 3+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe or in the spring[2]. Stored seed should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in warm water. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Division in spring. Great care is needed since the plant dislikes root disturbance[2].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Easily grown in ordinary garden soil in a sunny position, preferring a deep well-drained sandy loam[1][2]. Plants strongly resent root disturbance and should be placed in their permanent positions as soon as possible[1]. 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[2].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  3. Flora of China 1994-00-00 http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

    ↩

  4. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

    ↩

  5. Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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