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Fabaceae FAMILY

Astragalus strobiliferus

Astragalus strobiliferus

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

Many members of this genus contain toxic glycosides[1]. A number of species can accumulate toxic levels of selenium when grown in soils that are relatively rich in that element[1]. All species with edible seedpods can be distinguished by their fleshy round or oval seedpod that looks somewhat like a greengage.[2]

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Shrub
Growth—

Astragalus species that produce tragacanth gum are generally low-growing, spiny shrubs found in windy, usually semi-arid regions, often in mountaisn but also near the coast. They will often experience cold winters with frost, rain and snow and hot, dry summers. Most species grow in subarid areas with an annual precipitation of not more than 500mm, with a pronounced dry period of around four months in summer and most of the precipitation in winter. It is possible to grow many of these species outside of these habitats, especially in more continental climates. In moister climates, although they are likely to tolerate the low temperatures, they are unlikely to succeed if both summer and winter are wet unless the soil is very well-drained. Placing the plant in a local rain-shadow, such as the side of a building, can help successful cultivation[3, PFAF]. Tragacanthic Astragalus species generally prefer a gravelly soil with a small amount of fine earth[3]. Requires a dry well-drained soil in a sunny position[4]. Succeeds in poor soils[5]. Plants are intolerant of root disturbance and are best planted in their final positions whilst still small[5]. 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[3]. Plants are usually tapped after their second year of growth, and have a profitable gum life of around 7 years[6]. 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[5]. 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[5].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[5]. A period of cold stratification may help stored seed to germinate[5]. 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[7, 5]. 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[7, 5]. 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[7]. 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+strobiliferus>

Pollinators

Bees, Lepidoptera

References

  1. [1]A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. — Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. · Wolfe · 1984 · ISBN 0723408394 ↩︎Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.
  2. [2]Edible Native Plants of the Rocky Mountains. — Harrington. H. D. · University of New Mexico Press · 1967 · ISBN 0-8623-0343-9 ↩︎A superb book. Very readable, it gives the results of the authors experiments with native edible plants.
  3. [3]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
  4. [4]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  5. [5]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.
  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]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.
  8. [8]Flora of Pakistan — http://www.efloras.org ↩︎As of 2006, there is not much information on habitats available, but it is being developed and promises to be an excellent resource.
  9. [9]Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants — http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 ↩︎Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
  10. [10]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.
  11. [11]Plants for Human Consumption. — Kunkel. G. · Koeltz Scientific Books · 1984 · ISBN 3874292169 ↩︎An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
  12. [12]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
  13. [13]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.
  14. [14]Ethnobotanical Uses of Biofencing Plants in Himachel Pradesh, Northwest Himalaya — Pankaj Sharma & Usha Devi · 2013 · ISBN 1028-8880 ↩︎A brief look at 61 species of plants used in hedging in northwest Himalayas nd their other uses
  15. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎