# common milkpea (*Galega officinalis*)

Common milkpea is a lovely plant with pretty flowers that can be purple or white. It grows in fields and gardens, making the world a bit brighter and more colorful!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![common milkpea](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Galegaofficinalis03.jpg&width=800)

Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Galegaofficinalis03.jpg)

## Appearance

The common milkpea is a tall, bushy plant with slender stems and bright green, pinnate leaves. It has clusters of small, pea-like flowers, typically lavender-blue to white, creating a delicate, airy appearance.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Ancient doctors once thought this plant could help cure many illnesses!
- Be careful, this "milkpea" is not safe for humans or most animals to eat!
- It has tiny, special chemicals that scientists study for new medicines!
- Its name comes from an old belief it could make cows produce more milk!

## Special abilities

- **Soil Power-Up:** Common milkpea can enrich the soil with nitrogen, acting like a natural fertilizer to help other plants grow strong.
- **Tough Guy Roots:** Common milkpea has deep, tough roots that help it grow in poor soil and quickly regrow after being cut back.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 60-120 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-1.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Moderate
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar from its vibrant flowers.
- **Symbiotic with:** Rhizobium bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — lives in roots, turning air nitrogen into food.
- **Eaten by:** [Cattle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cattle) (*Bos taurus*) — can get sick from eating too much of this plant.
- **Eats:** Black bean aphid (*Aphis fabae*) — feeds on plant sap from its stems and leaves.

## Traits

- [Herbaceous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbaceous): Herbaceous plants are non-woody plants with soft stems that typically die back to the ground at the end of the growing season.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants.
- [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always ask an adult before touching or picking plants.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify common milkpea?

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 tall is common milkpea?

60-120 cm

### How wide does common milkpea spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on common milkpea?

1-1.5 cm

### When does common milkpea bloom?

Summer

### Is common milkpea edible?

No

### Is common milkpea toxic?

Moderate

### What is common milkpea's lifecycle?

Perennial

## 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: [Common Milkpea: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkpea)