Flower profile

Alpine milkvetch

Astragalus alpinus

Alpine milkvetch (Astragalus alpinus) is a flowering plant in the Fabaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–August across the U.S.

Native to Alaska

Alpine milkvetch is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

16states where USDA records it

456AK sightings*

1,784U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alaska

Quick look

Astragalus alpinus is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common name alpine milkvetch. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring throughout the upper latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.
From Wikipedia's article Astragalus alpinus, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Fabaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 16 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Alaska. ^NatureServe
iNaturalist has 456 research-grade sightings of it in Alaska, ranking #95 among the 121 flowers on our Alaska list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Alaska (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (28 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Alaska: No list Alaska has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alaska ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alaska.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: MN (S1), NV (S2), UT (S1), VT (SH), WI (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsToxic to horses

ASPCA's entry “Loco Weed (Astragalus spp.)” (Astragalus spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to horses. Signs include: Incoordination, depression, inability to eat and drink, fetal death and birth defects Credit: Image Courtesy of Gary Coffman, PBase.com Gallery… ^ASPCA

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records alpine milkvetch in 16 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Alaska counties with USDA records: Aleutians East, Anchorage, Bethel, Chugach, Copper River, Denali, Dillingham, Fairbanks North Star, Haines, Juneau, Kenai Peninsula, Kodiak Island, Lake and Peninsula, Matanuska-Susitna, Nome, North Slope, Northwest Arctic, Sitka, Southeast Fairbanks, Yakutat, Yukon-Koyukuk.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Alaska: Native; Canada: Native; Greenland: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 114 counties across 16 states; the most are in Colorado (27), Alaska (21), Wyoming (16).

Other Astragalus on Bloomipedia (12): Woollypod milkvetch, Ground-plum, Woolly locoweed, Drummond's milkvetch, Laxmann's milkvetch, Early purple milkvetch, Utah milkvetch, Timber milkvetch, Browse milkvetch, Tufted milkvetch.

More from the Fabaceae family (114 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lupines, White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, Partridge pea, White sweetclover.

More Alaska flowers

Nootka lupine

Lupinus nootkatensis

Native

🌼 Blooms in AK: June–July

Seaside pea

Lathyrus japonicus

Native

🌼 Blooms in AK: June–July

Alpine sweet-vetch

Hedysarum alpinum

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in AK

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile ASAL7.
iNaturalist, Astragalus alpinus: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Astragalus alpinus (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Alaska: Alaska prohibited and restricted noxious weeds (11 AAC 34.020).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Astragalus alpinus (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
Photo: Bonnie Isaac via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.