# Chickpea Milkvetch (*astragalus cicer*)

Chickpea milkvetch (Astragalus cicer), also known as cicer milkvetch, is a hardy, long-lived perennial legume native to Europe and temperate Asia. Widely introduced to other regions including North America, it is highly valued for its robust growth, exceptional forage quality, and utility in soil conservation. Unlike many other species of the Astragalus genus, chickpea milkvetch is completely non-toxic to livestock, lacking the harmful selenium accumulation or nitro-toxins found in its wild relatives. It establishes a dense cover through a vigorous network of underground rhizomes, making it highly effective at stabilizing soils and preventing erosion on slopes and disturbed lands.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Thrives in open grasslands, river valleys, forest edges, pastures, and disturbed roadsides within cool, semi-arid climates.

![Chickpea Milkvetch](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/592717835/medium.jpg)

Photo: Matt Berger, CC BY 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/592717835)

## Appearance

This sprawling herb features prostrate to ascending, ribbed stems that grow up to 100 centimeters long, forming lush, low-lying mats. The leaves are pinnately compound, each consisting of 15 to 30 light green, oval leaflets that are smooth on top and lightly hairy underneath. Its pale yellow to creamy white pea-like flowers are closely packed into dense, upright spikes arising from the leaf joints. Upon successful pollination, these flowers give way to distinctive, inflated, bladder-like pods that turn a dark, brownish-black color when ripe and rattle softly in the wind.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Fabales
- **Family:** Fabaceae
- **Genus:** Astragalus

## Interesting facts

- Its highly competitive, creeping root system makes it an elite choice for reclaiming heavily polluted or compacted soils left behind by open-pit mining operations.
- The dried, hollow seed pods swell up like small leather bags and make a distinct rattling maraca-like sound when shaken by the wind or passing animals.
- Unlike alfalfa and most clovers, chickpea milkvetch is completely 'bloat-safe' for livestock, allowing animals to graze freely without dangerous gas buildup.

## Special abilities

- **Nitrogen-Fixing Symbiosis:** Collaborates with Rhizobium bacteria in its root system to convert atmospheric nitrogen into organic compounds, enriching the surrounding soil.
- **Rhizomatous Colonization:** Spreads aggressively underground via tough rhizomes, allowing it to recover quickly from heavy grazing and hold loose soil together.
- **Drought Resilience:** Utilizes a deep taproot combined with lateral roots to pull moisture from deep underground, remaining green when other grasses dry out.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 30-100 cm
- **Weight:** 0.05-0.4 kg
- **Lifespan:** 5-20 years

## Diet & Feeding

Produces its own energy through photosynthesis, converting sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into sugars while absorbing vital minerals from the soil.

- **Primary Foods:** Sunlight, Carbon Dioxide, Water, Soil Minerals

## Ecological connections

- **Mutualism:** Common Eastern Bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — Provides rich nectar and pollen, heavily attracting bumblebees for pollination.
- **Mutualism:** Rhizobium bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — Hosts specialized nitrogen-fixing bacteria within its root nodules to convert atmospheric nitrogen.
- **Eaten by:** Domestic Sheep (*Ovis aries*) — Graze heavily on the highly nutritious and safe foliage in pastures.

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Chickpea Milkvetch?

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 Chickpea Milkvetch?

30-100 cm

### How much does Chickpea Milkvetch weigh?

0.05-0.4 kg

### How long does Chickpea Milkvetch live?

5-20 years

### What does Chickpea Milkvetch eat?

Produces its own energy through photosynthesis, converting sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into sugars while absorbing vital minerals from the soil.

### Where is Chickpea Milkvetch usually found?

Thrives in open grasslands, river valleys, forest edges, pastures, and disturbed roadsides within cool, semi-arid climates.

## Where to spot

- [Leadville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/leadville-historic-district) — Colorado, US · Historic District

## 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*)

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Source: [Chickpea Milkvetch: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/chickpea-milkvetch)