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Fabaceae FAMILY

Astragalus cerasocrenus

Astragalus cerasocrenus

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
Growth—

Astragalus cerasocrenus is found in the semi-arid to arid zone of central Asia, where it can experience very hot summers and cold winters. Tragacanthic Astragalus species generally prefer a gravelly soil with a small amount of fine earth[1]. Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil. Succeeds in poor oils[2]. The production of a special type of gum is an important economic feature of most tragacanthic species of Astragalus - the gum is sometimes exuded when the plants are wounded, but a better quality gum is obtained by incising or tapping the rootstock about 5 cm below the surface of the soil. The colour of the gum varies, both within and between species, from white to yellowish brown. The best quality gum is ribbon-like and translucent. The colour of gum, its amount and its shape depends on the species, collecting techniques and conditions[1]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[2]. Many members of this genus can be difficult to grow, this may be due partly to a lack of their specific bacterial associations in the soil[2].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[2]. A period of cold stratification may help stored seed to germinate[2]. Stored seed, and perhaps also fresh seed, should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in hot water before sowing - but make sure that you do not cook the seed[3, 2]. Any seed that does not swell should be carefully pricked with a needle, taking care not to damage the embryo, and re-soaked for a further 24 hours[3, 2]. Germination can be slow and erratic but is usually within 4 - 9 weeks or more at 13°c if the seed is treated or sown fresh[3]. As soon as it is large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter, planting them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Astragalus+cerasocrenus>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Systematic revision of Astragalus sect. Adiaspastus, sect. Macrophyllium and sect. Pterophorus (Fabaceae) — Shahin Zarre-Mobarakeh · Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin-Dahlem, Germany · 2000 · http://www.bgbm.fu-berlin.de · ISBN 3-921800-42-0 ↩︎An extensive revision of three gum-producing sections of the genus Astragalus, though it does not include section Rhacophorus, which is the main commercial producer of Gum Tragacanth
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]Growing from Seed. Volume 2. — Rice. G. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1988 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
  4. [4]Flora of the USSR. — Komarov. V. L. · Israel Program for Scientific Translation · 1968 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org · ISBN - ↩︎An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
  5. [5]The Plant Wealth of Iraq. — Chakravarty. H. L. ↩︎It is surprising how many of these plants can be grown in Britain. A very readable book on the useful plants of Iraq.
  6. [6]The Leguminosae; A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses and Nodulation — Allen O.N.; Allen E.K. · University of Wisconsin · 1981 · ISBN 0-333-32221-5 ↩︎An amazing and comprehensive work, giving a brief guide to the many genera of the family Fabaceae and also the principle uses of the genus.
  7. [7]Determination of the Tragacanth gum production potential of white Astragalus (Astragalus gossypinus) in western rang — Habib Yazdanshenas & Mina Jafari · 2014 · https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277438364 ↩︎Studying the potential yields of Tragacanth gum from Astragalus gossypinus
  8. [8]Vegetable Gums and Resins. — Howes. F. N. · Faber · ISBN 81-88818-17-8 ↩︎A very good book dealing with the subject in a readable way.