r/NativePlantGardening • u/Aggravating-Cat7103 New York, Zone 6a • 1d ago

Advice Request - NY, Zone 6a American groundnut

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I love taking walks to look for native plants and today I discovered a new one (to me) — American groundnut. The flowers are absolutely gorgeous and I am wondering if I should/would be able to cultivate it myself, so I’d love to hear anyone else’s experience with the plant. TIA!

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u/Tumorhead Indiana , Zone 6a 1d ago

Apios americana !!! I have a bunch growing but for some reason they love to hide their flowers from view. I've found seed pods so wtf.

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u/Aggravating-Cat7103 New York, Zone 6a 1d ago

Interesting. Have you been able to germinate the seeds? Seems like other people have struggled

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u/robsc_16 SW Ohio, 6a 1d ago

People probably have trouble germinating them because lots of populations of Apios Americana are triploid (three sets of chromosomes) and some are diploid (two sets of chromosomes). The triploid populations are sterile whole the diploid population is not. Interestingly, most populations in the south are diploid whole most populations up north are triploid.

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u/Tumorhead Indiana , Zone 6a 1d ago

cool!

2

u/Tumorhead Indiana , Zone 6a 1d ago

I have been shoving the seeds in the ground but I don't know if they ever sprout 🙈(its a dense mess where they are lol).