Bloomipedia
Browse milkvetch (Astragalus cibarius)
Photo: Daughter Dad via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Browse milkvetch

Astragalus cibarius

Native to Utah

Browse milkvetch is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Utah it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

6states
662UT sightings*
1,047U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Utah

Quick look

Astragalus cibarius, commonly called the browse milkvetch, is a species of plant in the legume family.

  • 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 6 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Utah. NatureServe
  • In Utah, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–May. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 662 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #90 among the 109 flowers on our Utah list. iNaturalist

Browse milkvetch gift ideas

Handmade browse milkvetch 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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When does it bloom?

In Utah, most flowering sightings come in March–May.

Flowering records by month in Utah (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (101 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
G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
Utah
No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: CO (S2). (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 browse milkvetch in 6 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming.

Utah counties with USDA records: Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Daggett, Davis, Garfield, Iron, Juab, Millard, Morgan, Rich, Salt Lake, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Weber.

More Utah flowers

Yellow sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis)

Yellow sweetclover

Melilotus officinalis

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in UT: May–October
Woolly locoweed (Astragalus mollissimus)

Woolly locoweed

Astragalus mollissimus

Native

🌼 Blooms in UT: March–May
Boreal sweet-vetch (Hedysarum boreale)

Boreal sweet-vetch

Hedysarum boreale

Native

🌼 Blooms in UT: April–July

Sources