Common Name: Hog Peanut

General Information

Amphicarpaea bracteata is an annual to perennial, climbing plant with slender stems from 20 - 200cm long that scramble over the ground and twine into the surrounding vegetation.
The plant was a common food of several Native American tribes, and is still often gathered as a tasty wild food. The plant also has medicinal uses. It has occasionally been cultivated for its edible seed, which has been used as a peanut substitute[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

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Range

Eastern and central N. America - Saskatchewan to New Brunswick, south to Texas and Florida

Habitat

Cool damp woodlands[, ]. Dry or moist woodlands, along roadsides, and in prairie ravines[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial Climber
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Insects, Cleistogamous
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

The young shoots in spring can be damaged by late frosts[].
Requires a moist humus-rich soil in a shady position[].
The hog peanut has occasionally been cultivated for its edible seed which has been used as a peanut substitute[]. Yields at present, however, are rather low[].
Two types of blossom are produced by the plant - those produced from the leaf axils mostly abort but a few seeds are produced[]. Solitary, inconspicuous cleistogamous flowers are produced on thread-like stems near the root and, after flowering, the developing seedpods bury themselves into the soil in a manner similar to peanuts[, ].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

Seed - raw or cooked[, ]. Two types of seed are produced - flowers produced near the ground produce a pod that buries itself just below soil level. These pods contain a single seed up to 15mm in diameter which can be used as a peanut substitute. They can be harvested throughout the winter and can be eaten raw or cooked[, , , ]. They are sweet and delicious raw with a taste that is more like shelled garden beans than peanuts[]. Yields are rather low, and it can be a fiddle finding the seeds, but they do make a very pleasant and nutritious snack[].
Other flowers higher up the plant produce seed pods that do not bury themselves. The seeds in these pods are much smaller and are usually cooked before being eaten[, ]. They can be used in all the same ways as lentils and are a good source of protein[]. The overall crop of these seeds is rather low and they are also fiddly to harvest[].

Root - cooked[, ]. The root is peeled, boiled and then eaten[]. Fleshy and nutritious according to one report[], whilst another says that the root is too small to be of much importance in the diet[]. Our plants have only produced small and stringy roots[].

Medicinal

An infusion of the root has been used in the treatment of diarrhoea[].
Externally, the root has been applied to bites from rattlesnakes[].

A poultice of the pulverized leaves has been applied with any salve to swellings[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The growing plant is a good soil cover, helping to prevent erosion and improve the fertility of the soil[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in spring in a semi-shaded position in a greenhouse. Germination usually takes place within a few weeks. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter, planting them out in late spring or early summer.
Division. We have been unable to divide this plant because it only makes a small taproot. However, many of the seeds are produced under the ground and these can be harvested like tubers and potted up to make more plants.