Common Name: Crazy Weed

General Information

Oxytropis lambertii is a stemless, clump-forming, herbaceous perennial plant growing up to 30cm tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is also used in Homoeopathy.
Oxytropis lambertii is a widespread and common plant in its natural range for which at present there are no major known threats causing a population decline. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2012)[].

Known Hazards

The plant is toxic to cattle, does it concentrate selenium from the soil[]? Horses that eat this plant become very difficult to handle and can imagine that a pebble is a large rock or that a wide stream is only narrow[].
The plant contains toxins, possibly indolizidine alkaloids. The toxin can accumulate in the body and causes trembling, high excitability, paralysis and death[].

Botanical References

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Range

Western and central N. America - British Colombia to Manitoba, south through Montana and Minnesota to Arizona and Texas

Habitat

Dry prairies, calcareous gravels and bluffs[]. Limestone outcrops in Texas[]. Dry upland prairies, pastures, hillsides, river bluffs, and roadsides, on limestone, sandstone, and shale soils; at elevations from 1,100 - 3,300 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.30 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Oxytropis lambertii is a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -35°c when fully dormant[].
Easily grown in an ordinary garden soil but prefers a sandy loam[]. Best in a deep, gritty perfectly drained soil in full sun[]. Strongly resents winter wet[].
A very ornamental[] and variable plant[].
Plants resent root disturbance and so should be pot-grown then and planted out into their permanent positions whilst still small[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria called Rhizobia. These bacteria form nodules on the roots of the plants and fix atmospheric nitrogen, plants may fail to flourish due to the absence of the appropriate Rhizobium species. Some of the nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[].

Edible Uses

Root[, , , ]. No further details are given, but caution is advised, see notes at top of page.

Used to make a mush, or parched and used for food[]. This report is probably referring to the seeds[].

Medicinal

The plant is used to treat a range of conditions in homoeopathy, particularly those related to the nervous system[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and then sow in a greenhouse in early spring. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as the cotyledons emerge in order to avoid damage to the root. Grow them on in deep pots in a cold greenhouse or cold frame, and plant them out the following spring[].
Division in spring[]. Since the plant resents root disturbance this might not be a good idea.