# Tufted Milkvetch (*Astragalus spatulatus*)

The Tufted Milkvetch is a special plant with fluffy, green leaves and pretty purple flowers. It grows in the wild and helps make the ground healthy.

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

![Tufted Milkvetch](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Astragalus_spatulatus_%287273553668%29.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Astragalus_spatulatus_%287273553668%29.jpg)

## Appearance

The Tufted Milkvetch has dense mats of silvery-hairy leaves. Its small, pea-like flowers range from pale lavender to purple, clustered tightly together. The plant often forms a low cushion against rocky or sandy ground.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- It grows mostly in dry western North America, especially on open, rocky slopes.
- Its roots team up with tiny helpers to make the soil healthier!
- Some call it 'Paddle-Pod Milkvetch' because of its interesting flat seed pods!
- This tough plant can live for many years in very dry, harsh climates!

## Special abilities

- **Drought Dodger:** Tufted Milkvetch can survive dry, rocky soils using special adaptations, helping it thrive where other plants cannot.
- **Soil Stabilizer:** Tufted Milkvetch has strong, deep roots that anchor soil, preventing erosion and keeping the ground firm.
- **Nutrient Nurturer:** Tufted Milkvetch can enrich soil by partnering with bacteria to fix nitrogen, acting like a natural fertilizer.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-20 cm
- **Spread:** 15-40 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Two-form Bumblebee (*Bombus bifarius*) — Visits flowers to collect nectar and pollen.
- **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — An important pollinator, transferring pollen between flowers.
- **Eaten by:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — May browse on leaves and stems, especially new growth.

## Traits

- [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.
- [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability.
- [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.
- [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always look but don't touch wild plants unless a grown-up says it's okay.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Tufted 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 tall is Tufted Milkvetch?

5-20 cm

### How wide does Tufted Milkvetch spread?

15-40 cm

### How big are the flowers on Tufted Milkvetch?

1-2 cm

### When does Tufted Milkvetch bloom?

Late spring to summer

### Is Tufted Milkvetch edible?

No

### Is Tufted Milkvetch toxic?

None

### What is Tufted Milkvetch's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bighorn-canyon-national-recreation-area) — Montana, US · National Park
- [Cheyenne Botanic Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cheyenne-botanic-gardens) — Wyoming, US · Botanical Garden

## 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: [Tufted Milkvetch: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tufted-milkvetch)