Ground Nut

Apios americana

Basic Information

Family: Fabaceae or Leguminosae

Genus: apios

Plant ID (slug): apios-americana

Numeric ID: 22633

USDA Hardiness: 3-9

Ratings

Physical Characteristics

Apios americana is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.2 m (4ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3. It is in leaf from April to November, in flower from June to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Distribution

N. America - Pennsylvania. Occasionally naturalized in S. Europe[50].

Habitats

Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Root Seed Seedpod Edible Uses: Tuber - raw or cooked[1 , 2 , 27 , 55 , 62 , 63 ]. A delicious flavour somewhat like roasted sweet potatoes, it always receives very high marks in taste trials with us[K ]. The tuber can also be dried and ground into a powder then used as a thickening in soups etc or can be added to cereal flours when making bread[132 , 257 ]. Tubers contain 17% crude protein, this is more than 3 times that found in potatoes[183 ]. The tubers can be harvested in their first year but they take 2 - 3 years to become a sizeable crop[160 ]. They can be harvested at any time of the year but are at their best in the autumn[160 ]. The tubers can also be harvested in the autumn and will store until at least the spring[K ]. Yields of 2.3 kilos of tubers per plant have been achieved[222 ]. Seed - cooked[62 ]. Rather small and not produced very freely[K ], they are used like peas and beans[183 , 213 ]. A good source of protein, they can be ground into a powder and added to cereals when making bread etc[257 ]. The seedpods are 5 - 13cm long, containing 6 - 13 small seeds[418 ]. Young seedpods[55 , 62 , 95 , 177 ]. The seedpods are up to 13cm long[418 ].

Medicinal Uses

The tubers were used in folk remedies for that cancerous condition known as "Proud Flesh" in New England. Nuts were boiled and made into a plaster, "For to eat out the proud flesh they (the Indians) take a kind of earth nut boyled and stamped"[269].