Hog Peanut, American hogpeanut

Amphicarpaea bracteata

Physical Characteristics

Amphicarpaea bracteata is a PERENNIAL CLIMBER growing to 1.5 m (5ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf from May to October, in flower from August to September, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.

Distribution

Eastern N. America - New Brunswick to Florida, west to Manitoba and Louisiana.

Habitats

Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade; Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Root Seed Edible Uses: Seed - raw or cooked[2, 161]. Two types of seed are produced - flowers produced near the ground produce a pod that buries itself just below soil level. These pods contain a single seed are up to 15mm in diameter which can be used as a peanut substitute. They can be harvested throughout the winter and can be eaten raw or cooked[2, 63, 95, 161]. They are sweet and delicious raw with a taste that is more like shelled garden beans than peanuts[183]. Yields are rather low, and it can be a fiddle finding the seeds, but they do make a very pleasant and nutritious snack[K]. Other flowers higher up the plant produce seed pods that do not bury themselves. The seeds in these pods are much smaller and are usually cooked before being eaten[95, 183]. They can be used in all the same ways as lentils and are a good source of protein[K]. The overall crop of these seeds is rather low and they are also fiddly to harvest[K]. Root - cooked[177, 257]. The root is peeled, boiled and then eaten[257]. Fleshy and nutritious according to one report[200], whilst another says that the root is too small to be of much importance in the diet[257]. Our plants have only produced small and stringy roots[K].

Medicinal Uses

An infusion of the root has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea[257]. Externally, the root has been applied to bites from rattlesnakes[257]. A poultice of the pulverized leaves has been applied with any salve to swellings[257].

Known Hazards

None known