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Fabaceae FAMILY

Hedysarum boreale

Hedysarum boreale

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

Hedysarum boreale mackenzii is widely regarded as toxic and warnings about confusing it with its edible cousin Hedysarum alpinum Richardson (Eskimo potato) abound. After exhaustive research, no chemical basis for toxicity could be found. In addition, a critical examination of the literature could find no credible evidence that the species is toxic in spite of these widespread rumours[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Hedysarum boreale is a native of cold northern latitudes, being found further south only at higher elevations. It can experience very cold winters and dry climates. It is usually found in areas where the mean annual rainfall is in the range 250 - 450mm[2]. It is usually found in areas where competition from other plants is minimal[2]. Grows best in a sunny position, tolerating some shade. Easily grown in most garden soils from clayey to sandy, preferring a deep well-drained sandy loam[3, 4]. It is most often found on moderately saline or alkaline soils in the wild, but will grow on moderately acidic to neutral soils[2]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[2]. Plants strongly resent root disturbance and should be placed in their permanent positions as soon as possible[3]. Plants live for up to 20 years in the wild. 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].

Propagation

Seed - sow in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe or in the spring[4]. Stored seed benefits from scarification before sowing in order to speed up and improve germination[5]. This can usually be done by pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water. By this time they should have imbibed moisture and swollen - if they have not, then carefully make a nick in the seedcoat (being careful not to damage the embryo) and soak for a further 12 hours before sowing[PFAF]. Germination usually takes place in 6 - 30 days for spring-sown seed[2]. 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 the summer. The seed can remain viable for at least 6 years when stored in a cool place[2]. Division in spring. Great care is needed since the plant dislikes root disturbance[4]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Hedysarum+boreale>

Pollinators

Bees, Insects

References

  1. [1]Is Hedysarum mackenziei (Wild Sweet Pea) Actually Toxic? — Treadwell E.M. & Clausen T.P. · 2008 · http://www.ethnobotanyjournal.org/vol6/i1547-3465-06-319.pdf ↩︎
  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]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 ]).
  4. [4]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.
  5. [5]Fire Effects Information System — http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ ↩︎An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
  6. [6]Flora of Canada — Livingstone. B. · National Museums of Canada · 1978 · ISBN 0-660-00025-3 ↩︎In 4 volumes, it does not deal with plant uses but gives descriptions and habitats.
  7. [7]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.
  8. [8]Tanaka's Cyclopedia of Edible Plants of the World. — Tanaka. T. & Nakao S. · Keigaku Publishing; Tokyo · 1976 · ISBN - ↩︎The most comprehensive list of edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.
  9. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎