Flower profile

American groundnut

Apios americana

Native in the lower 48

American groundnut is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 4 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in July–September.

38states

4of our state lists

17,426U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Connecticut, Georgia, Rhode Island, South Carolina

Quick look

Apios americana, sometimes called the American groundnut, potato bean, hopniss, Indian potato, hodoimo, America-hodoimo, cinnamon vine, or groundnut is a deciduous or evergreen perennial vine that bears edible beans and large edible tubers.
From Wikipedia's article Apios americana, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Fabaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a vine with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 38 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Georgia, Connecticut, South Carolina and Rhode Island. ^NatureServe
In Georgia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. ^iNaturalist
In Connecticut, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in July–September. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as purple. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 1 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 987 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #92 among the 111 flowers on our Georgia list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 506 research-grade sightings of it in Connecticut, ranking #94 among the 111 flowers on our Connecticut list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 374 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #102 among the 111 flowers on our South Carolina list. ^iNaturalist

American groundnut gift ideas

Handmade american groundnut gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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American groundnut art print
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American groundnut greeting card
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American groundnut mug
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American groundnut earrings
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American groundnut embroidery pattern
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American groundnut sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (4,148 records)

Bloom time in each of our 4 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Georgia	Native	July–September	987
Connecticut	Native	July–September	506
South Carolina	Native	June–September	374
Rhode Island	Native	July–October	205

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
Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: S5, secure in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
Connecticut: Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Connecticut. ^{CT E/T/SC list}
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in South Carolina.
Rhode Island: Not listed Not on Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Rhode Island. ^{RI rare plants 2016}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S1), ND (SH). (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 peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Cooked, mature tubers are similar to a potato but have a nuttier flavor and finer texture. They also have 3 times the protein of potatoes as well as numerous other health benefits. The legume is also edible.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 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 American groundnut in 38 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Bartow, Brooks, Bryan, Calhoun, Chatham, Clarke, Cobb, Decatur, Dooly, Echols, Elbert, Forsyth, Fulton, Hall, Harris, Madison, McIntosh, Morgan, Oglethorpe, Rabun, Rockdale, Seminole, Spalding, Stephens, Tift, Towns, Upson, Walker, Ware, Wilkes, Worth.

South Carolina counties with USDA records: Abbeville, Aiken, Anderson, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Cherokee, Chesterfield, Colleton, Darlington, Dorchester, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Lancaster, Lexington, Marlboro, McCormick, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Williamsburg.

More Georgia flowers

White clover

Trifolium repens

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in GA: February–June

Red clover

Trifolium pratense

★ VT state flowerIntroduced

🌼 Blooms in GA: April–August

Eastern redbud

Cercis canadensis

Native

🌼 Blooms in GA: February–April

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile APAM.
iNaturalist, Apios americana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Apios americana (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Georgia: Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed).
Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
Rhode Island: Rhode Island Rare Plants 2016 (RI Natural History Survey, from the RI Wildlife Action Plan; informational, Rhode Island has no state plant-protection listing law).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Apios americana (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Lynn Harper via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.