Zone: 3-7
Height: Vine 2m (6ft)
Spread: Underground tubers bulge along a root chain and can form a large colony (see Plant Info for edibility)
Bloom: Legume-type flower; handsome, large, waxy, convoluted, browny-red
Seed: Small and not abundant, can be cooked green like peas or beans
Foliage: Deciduous, bright green, long, narrow leaves
Light: Full sun to part shade
Water: Ample water and good drainage, but can grow well in seasonal dryness
Soil: Prefers consistently moist, well drained, rich sandy loam; mulch helps to keep moisture even
Garden Location: Can be a vigorous groundcover (appropriate in a wild area); if not trellised, it will climb anything with altitude (tree, bush, fence) and can smother plantings
Apios americana (American groundnut)
This is a native plant. Tubers are edible raw or roasted with a pleasant flavour likened to roasted sweet potatoes, They can be dried and ground into flour to use as a thickener or mixed with other flours in baking. Tubers are very high in protein (17% crude protein); more than 3 times that found in potatoes. They only gain a reasonable size after 2-3 years. Best managed as a permaculture colony, harvesting portions of the tuber-chains each year. Pods of Apios are only edible when still young (green, smallish). The plant is a legume and fixes nitrogen in the soil, therefore doesn't necessarily require fertilizer, but as it is a heavy feeder, a little fertilizer will help it. Tubers can be harvested at any time of the year but are at their best in the autumn and will store until at least the spring.
