I was browsing around the internet a little while ago looking for some tasty perennial vegetables that might make a good addition to our garden. I happened upon a nice listing of perennial veggies here:
One of the items that caught my attention was the groundnut (Apios Americana). Ok, I admit it caught my attention because I wasn’t very familiar with it. Thanks to the ease of the internet, I now do know a few things about it – and they’re all good! One of the best things about it is that it is a good food source. It’s very nutritious, comes back each year, and will thrive in NE Texas!
So, just what is a groundnut? It is a legume. You can eat the bean pods that it produces, but it is most noted for the tubers it grows. One article I read declared “The groundnut is probably the most famous edible wild plant in eastern North America”. It seems that it was once a staple food for Native Americans and it is speculated that it kept the pilgrims from starving those first winters in the new world. The first year or two after it is planted, the tubers will be small. After that they grow larger. It is not uncommon for them to be as large as potatoes and can get up to several pounds each. They are sweeter than a potato, with a slightly nutty flavor.
Just how nutritious are they? Well it seems that ‘Plants for a Future, a British organization that educates the public on “edible, medicinal, and useful plants for a healthier world,” ranks Apios americana as the fourth-most-important plant in its database of seven thousand.’ That information, along with a lot of the information in this post was taken from this website:
It sounds like the only drawback could be that it can be a very aggressive grower. I figure if I can put up with the pokeweed, I can put up with the groundnut! It can be ordered online from a variety of places. For a few dollars, my thought is that it’s worth a try.
As always, happy gardening!
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