# 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. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Found in moist deciduous forests, rich woodlands, thickets, and along shaded stream banks. ![American Hog-Peanut](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/23832115/medium.jpeg) Photo: Tom Norton, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/23832115) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fabales - **Family:** Fabaceae - **Genus:** Amphicarpaea ## 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 - **Amphicarpy:** Produces two distinct types of flowers: showy, pollinator-dependent aerial blossoms and self-pollinating underground flowers. - **Nitrogen Fixation:** Collaborates with specialized root bacteria to convert atmospheric nitrogen into rich soil nutrients. - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) — Pollinates the showy aerial flowers while gathering nectar. ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify American Hog-Peanut? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### 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. ## Where to spot - [Bixby State Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bixby-state-preserve) — Iowa, US · Nature Reserve - [Bullock County Courthouse Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bullock-county-courthouse-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Chesterfield Gorge](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chesterfield-gorge) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Lock and Dam No. 17](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lock-and-dam-no-17) — Illinois, US · Historic Site - [Long Ridge Village Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/long-ridge-village-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District - [Virginville](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/virginville) — Pennsylvania, US · Neighborhood [View all places to see American Hog-Peanut](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/american-hog-peanut) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [American Hog-Peanut: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-hog-peanut)