PlantPeers
Back to Catalog
No image available
Fabaceae FAMILY

Desmanthus illinoensis

Desmanthus illinoensis

Edibility
3/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
GrowthMedium

Desmanthus illinoensis is a very cold tolerant plant, able to withstand temperatures down to around -30°c when dormant[1]. It grows best in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in excess of 500mm[2]. Requires a moist but well-drained soil in full sun[1]. Thrives on medium-textured soils[2]. Plants are often found growing in clay soils in the wild[3]. The plant is tolerant of most soil types, except heavy clays and exceptionally coarse sands[2]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[2]. Suitable for the wild garden or other naturalistic plantings[1]. In favourable situations this plant can self-sow to the point of nuisance[1]. This plant is being evaluated by the Land Institute of Salina, Kansas, as an edible legume for growing with perennial grains in a non-tillage permaculture system[4]. It is certainly worthy of more attention in this country, though the small seed size mitigates against its use[PFAF]. In trials, the plant has yielded from 163 - 197g per square metre (1.6 - 2 tonnes per hectare) The leaves are sensitive to external stimulation such as sunlight or touch - these cause the leaflets to fold inward, thus giving the plant one of its common names as the 'false sensitive plant'[2]. 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[1].

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in a cold frame in the spring. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. If you have sufficient seed then it is probably worthwhile sowing some in situ in mid to late spring. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Desmanthus+illinoensis>

Pollinators

Insects, Self

References

  1. [1]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.
  2. [2]Plants Database — United States Department of Agriculture · http://plants.usda.gov/java/factSheet ↩︎An online database with an excellent collection of fact sheets about native N. American plants.
  3. [3]Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas — Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J · Botanical Research Institute, Texas. · 1999 · http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm · ISBN 1-889878-01-4 ↩︎An excellent flora, which is also available on-line.
  4. [4]Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications · 1990 · ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 ↩︎Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
  5. [5]A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. — Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. · Houghton Mifflin Co. · 1990 · ISBN 0395467225 ↩︎A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
  6. [6]An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada — Britton. N. L. Brown. A. · Dover Publications. New York. · 1970 · ISBN 0-486-22642-5 ↩︎Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
  7. [7]Native American Ethnobotany — Moerman. D. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 1998 · ISBN 0-88192-453-9 ↩︎Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
  8. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎