Groundnut - Apios americana - Edible Native and Perennial - Native Plants
Common Names: Groundnut, hopniss
Latin name: Apios americana
Other Names: Indian potato, potato bean,
hodoimo
Family: Fabaceae
Zone Compatibility: 3-10
Light: Full sun, Part shade
Moisture Requirements: They are much more
productive with plenty of moisture
Preferred PH: Acidic, Neutral
Form: Large Vine
Root: Tuberous
Height: 4-8 Feet
Width: Indefinite, spreading
Growth Rate: Medium, Fast
Native Region: Eastern North America. As far
north as southern Canada, as far south as Florida, and as far east a
Colorado.
Native Habitat: Meadows, thickets, hedge,
near streams
Edible Parts: Tuber- Tastes like a nutty
potato
Bean- Tastes like a pea
Nutrition: Tuber- Has three times the
protein as potatoes. They are a good source of calcium and iron, and there
is evidence of anti-cancer activity.
Food Preparation: They are often cooked as
you would a potato. They can also be baked into chips or dried and ground
into flour.
History of Use: Important food to Native
Americans. They would harvest it in the wild and transplant the tubers to
create stands closer to their settlements. Has been cultivated in Japan
for 100 years.
Edibility Season: Once established,
Groundnut can be harvested at any time of year. Tuber size after two
seasons of growth will be substantially larger than after one season of
growth.
Planting: When working with a new species, I
always recommend folks try planting them in multiple different locations
to see what works best for them in their climate and context. Groundnuts
can be planted at any time of year. However, if you want to harvest a
sizable crop they need to be planted in early spring, or in the fall of
the previous season. Plant them 12-18 inches apart. They can be grown on a
trellis or as a groundcover.
Maintenance: Once a stand is established
they will mostly maintain themselves. If you weed and mulch them, they
will grow more tubers, and harvesting will be easier. Weeding must be done
carefully because the young vines can be delicate, and if they have
wrapped around a weed that is being pulled, it is possible to uproot the
plant. Heavy mulching makes harvest much easier, as a lot of the tubers
will grow through the mulch. I don't weed my plantings. Large weeds get
used as a trellis and eventually get smothered in a blanket of apios.
Harvest: Dig up with your favorite implement
and enjoy. I use a potato fork. Leaving behind a tuber for each plant
harvested will ensure that the stand will be maintained, although, in my
experience, enough tubers will accidentally be left behind to continue the
population.
Other Uses: Nitrogen-fixer, shelter for
beneficial insects, nectar for beneficial insects, ground cover
Above information from https://www.interwovenpermaculture.com/store/p8/groundnut.html#/
Have questions or concerns? Call or Text 706-258-7041 and we will be happy to assist you.
December 19, 2023 Propagating groundnut
We have received our initial groundnut tubers, apios americana. They are bareroot. Going to pot them until they sprout and start growing.
Goundnuts are native from Canada to Florida, and are edible both tubers and beans. The tubers are similar to potatoes and these plants were extensively used by Indian tribes as a food source. Look for plant starts to be available later this year. If interested in initial offering let us know.
