American Hog-Peanut
ExplorePlants
American Hog-Peanut
amphicarpaea bracteata
The American Hog-Peanut is a fascinating native climbing annual vine in the legume family, widely distributed across the rich deciduous forests of eastern North America. This delicate plant is highly regarded for its unique and complex reproductive strategy known as amphicarpy, which allows it to produce two entirely different types of flowers and seeds depending on their location on the plant. Its dual seed system historically served as a critical food resource for both wildlife and Indigenous peoples, who harvested the highly nutritious underground seeds during the harsh winter months.
Habitat: Found in moist deciduous forests, rich woodlands, thickets, and along shaded stream banks.
Appearance
This slender, twining vine features delicate, light-green compound leaves split into three egg-shaped, pointed leaflets measuring 3 to 8 centimeters in length. In late summer, it produces dangling clusters of pale pink, light purple, or white tubular flowers about 1.5 centimeters long on its aerial stems. Meanwhile, creeping ground-level runners produce tiny, inconspicuous, bud-like flowers without petals. The aerial flowers develop into flat, hairy, multi-seeded legume pods, while the subterranean flowers produce round, single-seeded fleshy pods containing a larger dark brown nut.
KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderFabalesFamilyFabaceaeGenusAmphicarpaea
Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
1/5 · Very low
Snaps
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Interesting facts
Indigenous peoples and early settlers frequently raided the underground winter food caches of voles and mice to gather the edible 'peanuts' in large quantities.
Its subterranean seeds act as an ecological insurance policy, as they are larger and more likely to survive local disturbances like fire than the aerial seeds.
The plant's genus name, Amphicarpaea, comes from the Greek words for 'double' and 'fruit', describing its dual seed-bearing habit.
Special abilities
Ability
Amphicarpy
Produces two distinct types of flowers: showy, pollinator-dependent aerial blossoms and self-pollinating underground flowers.
Ability
Nitrogen Fixation
Collaborates with specialized root bacteria to convert atmospheric nitrogen into rich soil nutrients.
Ability
Twining Support
Utilizes rapid, sensitive twining stems to climb surrounding forest vegetation and access filtered sunlight.
Measurements & details
- Length
- 30-150 cm
- Lifespan
- 1 years
Diet & Feeding
As a photosynthetic plant, it generates its own energy from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide while extracting vital minerals from the soil.
Primary Foods
- Sunlight
- Water
- Carbon Dioxide
- Soil Nutrients
Ecological connections
mutualism
Rhizobia Bacteria
Bradyrhizobium elkanii
Fixes nitrogen in root nodules through a mutualistic symbiotic relationship.
eaten by
Meadow Vole
Microtus pennsylvanicus
Gathers and consumes the highly nutritious subterranean seeds during winter.
mutualism
Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
Pollinates the showy aerial flowers while gathering nectar.
Traits
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Also known as
No aliases listed yet.
Collections
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Safety
Danger
1/5 · Very low
No special safety notes yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to identify American Hog-Peanut?
The easiest way to identify American Hog-Peanut is to use the Snappit nature identifier app.
How long is American Hog-Peanut?
30-150 cm
How long does American Hog-Peanut live?
1 years
What does American Hog-Peanut eat?
As a photosynthetic plant, it generates its own energy from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide while extracting vital minerals from the soil.
Where is American Hog-Peanut usually found?
Found in moist deciduous forests, rich woodlands, thickets, and along shaded stream banks.
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