Astragalus
locoweed, milk-vetch, poison-vetch, rattle-pod
45 species
21 subspecies and varieties
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Astragalus agrestiscock's-head, field milk vetch, purple milk vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Yukon Territory to California, east across North America to Canada's Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Moist spots in sagebrush plains, and mountain meadows to alpine slopes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus alpinusalpine milk-vetch, purple milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in the north-central region of Washington; Alaska to northeastern Oregon and northeastern Nevada, east to the Rocky Mountains; circumboreal.
Habitat: Open slopes and rocky areas from upper montane to alpine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. alpinus – alpine milk-vetch
Astragalus arrectushanging pod milk-vetch, Palouse milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington, where known from Lincoln and Whitman; eastern Washington to adjacent Idaho.
Habitat: Sagebrush flats to open ponderosa pine forest.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus arthuriArthur's milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest, where known only from Asotin County in Washington; southeastern Washington to northeastern Oregon and adjacent west-central Idaho.
Habitat: Grassy hills and rocky meadows, often on basalt.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus arthurii
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus asotinensisAsotin milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest, where known only from Asotin County in Washington; Endemic to Snake River Canyon of southeastern Washington and adjacent Idaho.
Habitat: Grassy slopes in shrub-steppe at low to moderate elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: March-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus australisIndian milk-vetch, subarctic milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest in the Olympic Mountains in Washington; Alaska to the Olympic mountains, northeastern Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado, east to the Great Plains and eastern Canada.
Habitat: Foothill bluffs and riverbanks to subalpine and alpine ridges and scree.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. cottonii – Cotton's milk-vetch, Cotton's milkvetch
Astragalus beckwithiiBeckwith's milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in the southeastern region of Washington; southeastern Washington to northeastern Nevada, east to western Idaho along the Snake River drainage, also disjunct in Kamloops, British Columbia.
Habitat: Sagebrush desert to dry hillsides.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. weiserensis – Beckwith's milk-vetch
Astragalus canadensisCanada milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east across North America to the Atlantic Coast.
Habitat: Prairies, stream banks, ditches, ponderosa pine forest openings, and seasonally moist alkaline flats in sagebrush.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. brevidens – Canada milk-vetch
var. canadensis – Canada milk-vetch
var. mortonii – Morton's Canadian milk-vetch
Astragalus caricinusbuckwheat milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in the south-central Washington; Washington south along the Snake River corridor to Oregon and southwestern Idaho.
Habitat: Grasslands, dry and sandy slopes in sagebrush habitat.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus cicerchickpea milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring In scattered locations chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Alaska to California, east to the Rocky Mountain states and in eastern North America.
Habitat: Roadsides, fields, dry slopes, and other disturbed areas, often where moist or wet.
Origin: Introduced from Europe
Flowers: July-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus collinushill milk-vetch, hillside milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to Oregon, east to west-central Idaho along the Snake and Clearwater Rivers.
Habitat: Basaltic grasslands and sagebrush deserts.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. collinus – hillside milk-vetch
Astragalus columbianusColumbian milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington, where endemic to south-central Washington.
Habitat: Dry, open areas in shrub-steppe.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus conjunctusbasalt milk-vetch, stiff milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest from south-central to southeastern Washington; Washington to southeast Oregon and adjacent southwestern Idaho.
Habitat: Sagebrush grasslands to brushy slopes and ponderosa pine forest openings.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. rickardii – stiff milk-vetch
Astragalus cusickiiCusick's milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in southeastern Washington; Washington to east-central Oregon, east to central Idaho.
Habitat: Sagebrush plains to grassy or rocky slopes, often on talus.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. cusickii – Cusick's milk-vetch
Astragalus diaphanusJohn Day milk-vetch, transparent milk-vetch
Distribution: Known historically from Klickitat County in Washington, but now thought to be extirpated; Klickitat County, Washington to Wheeler and Grant counties in Oregon.
Habitat: Gravel bars, alluvial slopes, and in thin gravelly soil overlying basaltic rock.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Annual, Biennial
Astragalus falcatusRussian milk-vetch, sickle milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest, where known from Whitman County in Washington; British Columbia to Washington and Montana, also in a few scattered locations across North America.
Habitat: Disturbed, open areas.
Origin: Introduced from Eurasia
Flowers: July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus filipesbasalt milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to northeast California, east to Nevada and Idaho.
Habitat: Sagebrush plains and lower foothills.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus geyeriGeyer's milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in south-central Washington; disjunct in British Columbia and along Columbia River of Washington and north-central Oregon; otherwise southeastern Oregon to Nevada and California, east to Montana, Wyoming, and Utah.
Habitat: Sandy desert areas, especially on dunes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Annual, Biennial
var. geyeri – Geyer's milk-vetch
Astragalus hoodianusHood River milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring in the east end of the Columbia River Gorge in Klickitat County in Washington; Klickitat County, Washington to Hood River and Wasco counties in Oregon.
Habitat: Dry, open areas in sagebrush and grasslands.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus howelliiHowell's milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in the southeastern corner of Washington; southeastern Washington to north-central Oregon.
Habitat: Stony hillsides among sagebrush and bunchgrass, often over basalt.
Origin: Native
Flowers: Arpil-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus inflexusbent milk-vetch, hairy milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; south-central Washington to Oregon, east to Idaho and Montana.
Habitat: Dry hillsides in sagebrush desert.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus kentrophytaspiny milk-vetch, thistle milk-vetch
Distribution: Known historically from Walla Walla County but considered extirpated; southern Alberta to east-central California, east to Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Sandy deserts to alpine ridges.
Origin: Native
Flowers: July-September
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. douglasii – spiny millk-vetch, thistle milk-vetch
Astragalus laxmanniiLaxmann's milk-vetch, standing milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring in north-central and eastern Washington; Yukon Territory to Washington, east to the Rocky Mountains and Minnesota.
Habitat: Prairies to rocky foothills in sagebrush desert and ponderosa pine forest.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. robustior – standing milk-vetch
Astragalus leibergiiLeiberg's milk-vetch
Distribution: Endemic to Douglas, Kittitas and Chelan counties of central Washington.
Habitat: Dry hillsides and plains, commonly in sagebrush scabland on basalt.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus lentiginosusfreckled milk-vetch, specklepod milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Montana and Texas.
Habitat: Open areas, desert flats to subalpine slopes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. lentiginosus – freckled milk-vetch, specklepod milk-vetch
Astragalus lyalliiLyall's milk-vetch
Distribution: Endemic to Washington from Kittitas and Douglas counties south to Benton, east to Grant and Adams counties.
Habitat: Sagebrush and desert areas, especially on sand dunes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus microcystislesser-bladder milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in the northeastern counties of Washington, but also disjunct on the Olympic Peninsula; southern British Columbia to Washington, east to Montana and Wyoming.
Habitat: Prairies and foothills to ponderosa pine forests.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus miselluspauper milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to Oregon.
Habitat: Dry, open areas in shrub-steppe.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. pauper – pauper milk-vetch
Astragalus miserweedy milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; southern British Columbia to central Washington, Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Grasslands and foothills to montane forests, dry ridges and occasionally alpine meadows.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. miser – weedy milk-vetch
var. serotinus – weedy milk-vetch
Astragalus pulsiferaeAmes's milk-vetch
Distribution: Known only from Mt. Adams and Klickitat County in Washington; Occurring in the northern Sierra Nevada of California and adjacent Nevada; not reported from Oregon.
Habitat: Sandy and gravelly flats in sagebrush and open pine forests on basalt.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-July
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. suksdorfii – Ames's milk-vetch
Astragalus purshiiPursh's milk-vetch, woolly-pod milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains and northern Great Plains.
Habitat: Prairies and sagebrush deserts, foothills and lower mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. glareosus – woolly-pod milk-vetch
var. purshii – Pursh's milk-vetch, woolly-pod milk-vetch
Astragalus reventiformisYakima milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; Washington to Sherman County in Oregon.
Habitat: Shrub-steppe to low, dry, open ponderosa pine forests.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus reventusBlue Mts. milk-vetch, longleaf milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in the southeastern counties in Washington; Washington to northeastern Oregon.
Habitat: Pondersoa pine forest openings at low to moderate elevations.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus ripariusPiper's milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in the southeastern counties in Washington; southeastern WA east to adjacent Idaho.
Habitat: Dry bluffs and canyon banks.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus robbinsiiRobbins's milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in the northern counties in Washington; Alaska to Oregon,east to Alberta and south in the Rocky Mountains to Colorado, also in eastern North America.
Habitat: Stream banks and alpine slopes.
Origin: Native
Flowers: June-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. minor – Robbin's milk-vetch
Astragalus sclerocarpusstalked-pod milk-vetch, The Dalles milk-vetch, woody-pod milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest chiefly in the Columbia River Basin and Columbia River Gorge in Washington; south-central British Columbia to north-central Oregon.
Habitat: Dunes and sandy barrens, low elevation
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus sheldoniiSheldon's milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Asotin County in Washington; southeastern Washington to Oregon, east to Idaho.
Habitat: Shrub-steppe and ponderosa pine forest openings.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus sinuatusWhited's milk-vetch
Distribution: Endemic to Chelan County in Washington.
Habitat: Among sagebrush on rocky hillsides.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus spaldingiiSpalding's milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; central Washington to northeast Oregon, east to western Idaho.
Habitat: Sagebrush and grasslands in the foothills and valleys.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus speirocarpuscurve-pod milk-vetch, medic milk-vetch, spiral-pod milk-vetch
Distribution: Endemic to Washington from Kittitas County south to Klickitat County, east to Grant County,
Habitat: Sagebrush desert.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus succumbenscrouching milk-vetch, sprawling milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington from Kittitas and Grant counties south; Washington to Umatilla and Gilliam Counties, Oregon.
Habitat: Sagebrush deserts, sandy barrens and lower foothills.
Origin: Native
Flowers: April-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus tenelluspulse milkvetch
Distribution: Disjunct in Douglas County in Washington; Yukon to southeastern Oregon and Nevada, east to Rocky Mountains.
Habitat: Prairies and foothills to lower mountains.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus tweedyiTweedy's milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington, from Yakima County south; central Washingtonto north-central Oregon near the Columbia River and lower Deschutes River.
Habitat: Sagebrush plains and foothills.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-June
Growth Duration: Perennial
Astragalus whitneyiballoon milk-vetch
Distribution: Occurring east of the Cascades crest in Washington; central Washington to California, east to Idaho and Nevada.
Habitat: High, open, rocky ridges and slopes, often in serpentine.
Origin: Native
Flowers: May-August
Growth Duration: Perennial
var. sonneanus – balloon milk-vetch