Plant Detail: Apios americana (American groundnut)

* Common Name:	American groundnut
* Genus:	*Apios*
* Species:	*americana*
Subspecies:
* Family (scientific):	Fabaceae
* Family (common):	Pea
Synonyms :	*Apios americana var. turrigera, Glycine apios*
* Distribution in Canada:	Ontario Quebec New Brunswick Nova Scotia P.E.I.

Photographer: William S. Justice @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database.

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Habitat

Ecozone(s):

Boreal Shield
Atlantic Maritime
Mixedwood Plains

Natural Habitat(s):

Woodland (35-60% cover)
Wet Meadow/Prairie/Field (less than 25% cover)
Riparian (edge)
Fresh Water Aquatic (pond, lake, river)

Habitat Garden(s):

Hedgerow / Thicket / Windbreak / Screening

Erosion Control?

Characteristics		Growing Conditions
* Plant Type:	Vine	Moisture Requirements: Moist, Wet Light Requirements: Shade Soil Requirements: Clay, Sand, Loam Temperature Zone: 3
Evergreen?	No
Average Height:	3 to 4 m
Tolerances:

Flower Info		Fruit/Seed Info
Showy flowers?	Yes	Showy fruit/seeds?	No
Bloom time:	Jul to Sep	Edible for humans?	Yes
Flower Colour(s):	Red, Purple, Pink	Fruit/Seed Colour(s):	Green

Miscellaneous		Uses
Fragrant Flowers?	Yes	Urban Oasis, Stewards in the City, and Eco Superior are specific Evergreen programs that some plants are used in.
Fragrant Foliage?	No	Program & Other Uses:	Culinary Medicinal
Fall colours?	No
Distinctive bark?	No
Poisonous to humans?	No
Thorns or prickles?	No
Attracts wildlife?	Butterfly Larvae
Larval host for:	Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus)	Provincial tree/flower?
Plant Watch species?	No

Tubers have a delicious flavor similar to roasted sweet potatoes. It contains 17% crude protein (3 times that found in potatoes). (Plants for a Future)

It is probably the most famous edible wild plant in North America. Early explorers depended upon in for survival.(Connecticut River)

Very useful for food and medicinal purposes. It also contains latex which could be used to produce rubber.

The roots, seeds and seedpods are edible. The tuber can be eaten raw, or cooked, or dried into a powder used for thickening soups. The tubers have a delicious flavour, a little bit like sweet potato, and contain 3 times more protein than found in potatoes. It take two to three years for the tuber to become a sizable as a crop, and are best harvested in the autumn. The seeds, although not plentiful are a good source in protein, and can be eaten like peas or beans. They can also be powdered and added to grain while making bread.

The tubers were used in to treat a cancerous condition know as "Proud Flesh" by the settlers of New England. The aboriginal people showed them how to boil the nuts and form a plaster to apply to the afflicted area. (Plants For A Future)

Canadian BIF Butterflies

Connecticut River

Missouri Plants

USDA PLANTS Database

National Audubon Society: Field Guide to North American Wildflowers, Eastern Region
National Audubon Society
Alfred A. Knopf, New York
1979
ISBN: 0-394-50432-1

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