Wildflowers of the United States

Canada Milkvetch, Little Rattlepod - Astragalus canadensis

Genus Common Name: Milkvetch

Native Status: Native

Dicot Perennial Herb

Astragalus canadensis - Canada Milkvetch, Little Rattlepod. The Astragalus - Milkvetch - genus is huge with over 2300 species worldwide and more than 400 species in the United States. I have photographed a couple of Milkvetches in Idaho, but with over 60 candidate species in Idaho, identification to the species was intimidating. I had almost decided just to publish a genus page rather than a species page when I heard about the general location of the plant presented on this page. Since there are only three Astragalus species known in Georgia, and two of those are in the coastal plains, confirming the identity of this one by location - there is only one location in Georgia where has been found - and using other attributes only for confirmation became rather easy. Astragalus canadensis is one of the more widespread species of Milkvetch, being found in open woods and riverbanks throughout most of the United States except New England, Florida, and Arizona. It is also found in most of its namesake country, Canada.

Found in:
AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY

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Distribution of Astragalus canadensis in the United States and Canada:

Map courtesy of The Biota of North America Program.
Map color key
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Site: Dade County, GA Date: 2014-June-21	Photographer: Gerald C. Williamson Nikon D7000 Tamron SP 90MM f/2.8 AF Macro
The inflorescence of Canada Milkvetch is a many-flowered raceme terminating the branches. I originally thought the common name Milkvetch was due to the white to creamy yellow color of the flowers (which may be true) but have subsequently discovered some Astragalus species have flowers of other colors. There is also a story that milk vetches could increase milk production in goats and cattle. However, some Astragalus are poisonous to animals.

Site: Dade County, GA Date: 2014-June-21	Photographer: Gerald C Williamson Nikon D7000
The flowers of Astragalus canadensis are white to pale yellow, and have the definite pea-like shape. The green hue of these photos are because the inflorescences are relatively young, and they were photographed in the shade of the forest through which the road ran.
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Site: Dade County, GA Date: 2014-June-21	Photographer: Gerald C Williamson Nikon D7000
Astragalus canadensis grows up to 6 feet tall. While the stem is pubescent, the plant is much less hairy than many other members of the genus such as Astragalus tennessensis, which has an overlapping range with Canada Milkvetch.
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Site: Dade County, GA Date: 2014-June-21	Photographer: Gerald C Williamson Nikon D7000
The leaves of Canada Milkvetch are pinnately compound with 13 to 29 oblong leaflets that are up to about 1.25 inches long.
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References used for identification and information:

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Astragalus canadensis initially published on USWildflowers.com 2014-06-26; Updated 2017-03-02

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All content except USDA Plants Database map Copyright Gerald C. Williamson 2024
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Code Update 20230302