Astragalus douglasii

Common Names

Douglas's Milkvetch, Jacumba Milkvetch, Douglas' Milkvetch, Locoweed, Parish's Milkvetch

Summary

Douglas's milkvetch is a bushy perennial herb native to California and Baja California, occurring in dry fields, grassy or brushy hillsides, valley grassland, and montane habitats. It features leafy stems with leaves 5–18 cm long and 7–25 elliptic to ovate leaflets, a midrib often raised on the lower surface, and inflorescences of 10–30 flowers that are white to pale yellow with a green calyx; fruit consists of inflated legume pods up to 6 cm long and 3 cm wide that dry to a thin papery texture. Foliage is green and deciduous, and varieties parishii (Parish's milkvetch) and perstrictus (Jacumba milkvetch) are noted.

Garden-friendly; visually delightful addition to the garden, and tolerates alkaline soil; beneficial for butterfly gardens. As a perennial herb with green, deciduous foliage, it includes the varieties Parish's milkvetch and Jacumba milkvetch, and lies in USDA hardiness zones 7–10.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

0.5-3.5 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 7-10

Soil Type

Alkaline soil

Soil pH

6.0-7.5, Slightly acidic to slightly alkaline

Bloom Color

White to pale yellow

Bloom Time

Spring and Summer

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Not specified

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seed

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts butterflies