Canadian milkvetch
Astragalus canadensis
Its seed pods dry into hard, hollow chambers that rattle in the autumn wind, earning it the nickname 'rattleweed'.
- Scientific name
- Astragalus canadensis
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Fabales › Fabaceae › Astragalus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Moist prairies, meadows, stream banks, and open woodlands.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis, drawing nutrients and water from soil).
- Range
- Canada, United States
- Size
- 30 to 120 cm (1 to 4 feet) tall
- Lifespan
- Perennial (typically 5 to 10 years)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat destruction, agricultural expansion, and aggressive herbicide application.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless to touch, but defensive if consumed. The plant can accumulate toxic levels of selenium from the soil and contains compounds harmful if ingested. Enjoy its pale yellow blooms from a safe step back to avoid trampling the surrounding vegetation. If ingested by humans or pets, contact poison control or a veterinarian immediately.
Astragalus canadensis is a common and widespread member of the milkvetch genus in the legume family, known commonly as Canadian milkvetch . The plant is found throughout Canada and the United States in many habitats including wetlands, woodlands, and prairies. It sends out several thin, erect, green stems, bearing leaves that are actually made up of pairs of leaflets, each leaflet up to 3 centimeters in length. It has inflorescences of tubular, greenish-white flowers which yield beanlike...
Photo: Jim Morefield, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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