Apios Americana: Ground Nut
Apios Americana (groundnut) is not peanuts, but they are closely related because they are legumes. Native Americans and early European colonist depended on these ground nut for survival.
Photo from kgNaturePhotography.com
The flowers are beautiful, reminds me of flowering peas. The plant is a climbing vine producing flowers and bean-like fruits. But it’s the tuber that is mainly eaten. Ground nuts are high in protein and grows well in this area.
A healthy harvest of ground nuts here. I just hope they taste better than how they look. Photo from First Church of Dirt.
Ground nut are native to North America and grow along riverbanks to woodland. This unique plant would be a good addition to the garden as food source. Even urban gardeners can get into the fun and plant these in containers.
More info from Herb Roots: “Always chew this nut to a very smooth paste before swallowing or it will resist digestion. Roasting helps it to breakdown in the body too. Groundnuts are the only nut in the world that grows below the ground (peanuts are not nuts by the way!). The plant sends shoots into the earth and form pods. Allow this to develop for 2 months(the plant will turn yellow).”
You can order some from Herb Roots.
