Astragalus funereus
Uncommon tufted perennial legume native to Death Valley, California, and Mojave Desert scrub of eastern California and western Nevada, with up to 10 pink- and purple-streaked flowers and a leathery, white-haired pod up to 5 cm long.
Common Names
Funeral Mountain Milkvetch, Black Milkvetch, Black Woollypod
Summary
Funeral Mountain milkvetch is a small tufted perennial herb native to Mojave Desert scrub in eastern California and western Nevada. It is densely coated in stiff hairs, with stems up to 8 cm, leaves with several hairy oval leaflets, and an inflorescence of up to 10 flowers that are covered in black hairs; flowers are 2–3 cm and pink with purple streaks; fruit is a compressed lance-shaped legume pod up to 5 cm, leathery and white-hairy.
In cultivation, it grows best in full sun on well-drained soil and is drought-tolerant; seeds require cold stratification of about 30 days with germination in 10–14 days; it features a deep taproot to about 3 feet and a perennial lifespan of 2–3 years to maturity; conservation status is imperiled, and parts potentially toxic to humans and pets.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
1-3 inches
Spread
12-18 inches
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun to partial shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained soil, sandy or loamy.
Soil Drainage
Well-drained
Soil pH
6.0-7.5
Bloom Color
Pink and Purple
Bloom Time
Spring to early Summer
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Yellow
Growth Rate
Moderate growth, 12–24 inches per year
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts butterflies and other pollinators
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- M.E.Jones
- Publication
- Contr. W. Bot. 12: 11 (1908)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Fabales
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Subfamily
- Papilionoideae
- Genus
- Astragalus
Synonyms
Astragalus purshii var. funereus Astragalus newberryi var. funereus Xylophacos funereus