Walking a damp trail at the woods edge, I’m surrounded by flowers. Pink and purple clusters of blossoms dangle from low branches and brush my face.
This is Groundnut. It creates a magical feeling, like a lovers’ bower in a fantasy.
I had seen few Groundnut flowers in recent years. It’s been so dry. This year, however, we’ve had rain. Now Groundnut is clambering through everything. Graceful vines strew my path, where I try not to step on the flowers. They wind their way up ten feet high through small trees. From there blossoms droop over the path.
The stems wrap their neighbors tight. It took me 15 minutes to unwind a length of Groundnut from the plants it entwined so that I could see which leaves belonged to it.
The flowers are fancy as an orchid, with elaborate structures.
Groundnut is valuable for fixing nitrogen and improving the soil. It belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae. We eat its relatives, such as snow peas, green beans, peanuts, and lentils.
This plant also makes edible beans. And small, underground tubers that grow along the roots like beads on a necklace. I’ve never eaten one, but they’re said to be like unusually tasty and nutritious potatoes.
I mean to try raising Groundnuts in my garden some time, to harvest the tubers for food.
During dry, lean years, the tubers wait, holding out for a season of wet soils. Then, when conditions are right, Groundnut takes the opportunity to grow, multiply, and even become rampant.
In a world of many rampant things, I treasure a living being that provides food, soil enhancement, and extraordinary beauty.
Like Groundnut.
Names
Plant family: Legume family (Fabaceae)
Scientific name: Apios americana
Common name:
A few of the many names of this plant are Groundnut, Indian potato, potato bean, hopniss, pea vine, wild bean, ground bean, wild potato, wild sweet potato.
Where it lives
Such pretty blooms. Here is an interesting tidbit inline with your post, when we were in India adopting Raina, lo these 32 years ago, Peanut Butter was actually called Groundnut Butter.
Last year up by my mailbox I followed the curious vine to its source and found a tuber. I went online and discovered it as being a ground nut. I replanted it and this year I have quite a few more along with their beautiful dusty pink blossoms. I will hold off for a year or two more before harvest some so they stay sustainable. I live in the state of Connecticut, U.S.A. They can be purchased online too.