# field locoweed (*Oxytropis campestris*)

Field locoweed is a pretty plant with small purple flowers that grow in fields and grasslands. It has fuzzy leaves and can be found in many places across North America.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Grasslands

![field locoweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Oxytropis_campestris_ssp_campestris.JPG&width=800)

Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Thommybe assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oxytropis_campestris_ssp_campestris.JPG)

## Appearance

The field locoweed is a low-growing, clumping plant with silvery-hairy, fern-like leaves. It produces pea-shaped flowers, typically purplish-blue or white, grouped tightly on leafless stalks, making it stand out from typical grasses.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Eating too much locoweed makes animals "loco" or crazy, causing strange behaviors!
- Its seeds are tough cookies and can stay dormant in the soil for many years before sprouting!
- Some people call it "rattlepod" because its dried seed pods sometimes make a fun rattling sound!
- The plant's fuzzy leaves act like tiny sunshades and sponges, helping it save precious water!

## Special abilities

- **Tough Terrain Master:** Field locoweed can thrive in rocky, dry soils, helping it survive where many other plants struggle to grow.
- **Deep Root Explorer:** It has a very long taproot that helps it reach deep groundwater, surviving long periods of drought.
- **Nitrogen Fueler:** This plant partners with soil bacteria to pull nitrogen from the air, enriching the soil for itself and its neighbors.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 10-40 cm
- **Spread:** 15-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** High
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Western Bumblebee (*Bombus occidentalis*) — Visits the flowers to collect nectar and spread pollen.
- **Symbiotic with:** Nitrogen-fixing bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — Lives in root nodules, converting air nitrogen into plant food.
- **Eaten by:** [Cattle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cattle) (*Bos taurus*) — Can be poisoned if they consume large quantities of the plant.

## Traits

- [Furry](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/furry): Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.
- [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.
- [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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Do not touch or eat any plants without asking an adult first.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify field locoweed?

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 field locoweed?

10-40 cm

### How wide does field locoweed spread?

15-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on field locoweed?

1-2 cm

### When does field locoweed bloom?

Late spring to summer

### Is field locoweed edible?

No

### Is field locoweed toxic?

High

### What is field locoweed's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Lockhart Beach Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lockhart-beach-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park
- [Stemwinder Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/stemwinder-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

## 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: [Field Locoweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-locoweed)