Berlandier's Groundplum (Texas Buffalo Plum)

Astragalus crassicarpus var. berlandieri Origin: Texas Improvement status: Wild Seeds per packet: ~40 Germination tested 12/2024: 50% Life cycle: Perennial Berlandier's Groundplum is a rare native plant subspecies endemic to the state of Texas, but closely related to the wider population of groundplum (or buffalo plum) found across a broader swathe of western North America. Related to the famous Chinese medicinal herb Astragalus propinquus (formerly A. membranaceus), buffalo plum also has a history of medicinal use, but it is most widely used as a food. It is a wild plant that has long been foraged in its native range for its edible underripe seedpod. The plant is a legume, with vetch-like leaves and pretty purple flowers, but the pod is quite different from most legume pods: it's round and looks very much like a plum! (Some might more accurately say a large gooseberry.) The taste is said to be something similar to a sweet pea, sometimes with some sourness, and when cooked it tastes li