Astragalus trichopodus
Coastal California native legume with a thick woody taproot and robust bushy habit, reaching up to about a meter tall, bearing long compound leaves with 15–39 leaflets, cream-colored racemes of up to 50 flowers that bloom February–June, bladdery, laterally compressed pods hanging in clusters, tolerating seaside conditions, clay, and deer, and great for butterfly gardens.
Common Names
Santa Barbara Milkvetch, Santa Barbara Milk-Vetch, Milkvetch, Locoweed
Summary
Santa Barbara milkvetch is a native perennial herb of southern California and Baja California's coastal regions, commonly found in coastal sage scrub, forming robust, bushy clumps with a thick woody taproot and often a knotty basal caudex. Stems are erect to spreading and finely hairy; leaves are pinnate with 15–39 leaflets; inflorescences are racemes of cream-colored flowers that may be faintly lilac-tinted, followed by highly variable pods (narrow to bladdery). Typical size ranges from about 0.2–1.0 m tall and 0.9–1.5 m wide.
It prefers full sun, very low water, and well-draining soil (well-drained pH range 4.8–8.2); tolerates seaside conditions and deer pressure, with USDA zones 8–10. Propagation is by seed with no treatment. In landscapes it serves as a drought-tolerant, butterfly-friendly plant suitable for coastal sage scrub or open habitat gardens, and provides wildlife value through flowering in winter and spring.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
8 inches-3.5 feet
Spread
3-5 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 8-10
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun.
Soil Type
Well-draining clay soil
Soil Drainage
Fast drainage
Soil pH
6.0-7.5
Bloom Color
Cream to White, with greenish-white or cream-colored variations
Bloom Time
Winter, Spring
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Semi-deciduous
Growth Rate
Fast
Seasons of Interest
Winter and Spring
Propagation Methods
Seeds — No treatment.
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts butterflies
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (Nutt.) A.Gray
- Publication
- Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 6: 218 (1865)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Fabales
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Subfamily
- Papilionoideae
- Genus
- Astragalus
Inferior Taxa
Astragalus trichopodus var. antisellii Astragalus trichopodus var. lonchus Astragalus trichopodus var. trichopodus
Synonyms
Tragacantha trichopoda Phaca trichopoda Astragalus trichopodus var. trichopodus Phaca trichopoda