Bloomipedia
Ground-plum (Astragalus crassicarpus)
Photo: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋） via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Ground-plum

Astragalus crassicarpus

Ground-plum (Astragalus crassicarpus) is a flowering plant in the Fabaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–May across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Ground-plum is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

18states where USDA records it
2Bloomipedia state lists include it
3,755U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: North Dakota, South Dakota

Quick look

Astragalus crassicarpus, known as ground plum or buffalo plum, is a perennial species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae, native to North America. It was described in 1813. The fruit is edible and was used by Native Americans as food and horse medicine. It is a host of afranius duskywing larvae. It is also known as groundplum milkvetch and pomme de prairie.

  • 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 18 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to South Dakota and North Dakota. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 248 research-grade sightings of it in South Dakota, ranking #55 among the 126 flowers on our South Dakota list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 137 research-grade sightings of it in North Dakota, ranking #51 among the 116 flowers on our North Dakota list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (342 records)
Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
South DakotaNativefew records (6)248
North DakotaNativefew records (8)137

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
South Dakota
No list South Dakota's endangered and threatened list (ARSD 41:10:02) covers animals only, so we show NatureServe's South Dakota ranks for plants. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in South Dakota.
North Dakota
No list North Dakota has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's North Dakota ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in North Dakota.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: 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 ground-plum in 18 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

South Dakota counties with USDA records: Aurora, Bennett, Brookings, Brule, Clay, Codington, Custer, Davison, Day, Deuel, Douglas, Fall River, Hanson, Harding, Hughes, Hutchinson, Jackson, Jerauld, Lake, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marshall, McCook, Meade, Mellette, Minnehaha, Moody, Pennington, Roberts, Stanley, Todd, Turner, Union, Walworth, Yankton.

North Dakota counties with USDA records: Barnes, Benson, Billings, Bottineau, Bowman, Burke, Burleigh, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Eddy, Emmons, Golden Valley, Grand Forks, Grant, Griggs, Hettinger, Kidder, LaMoure, McHenry, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Morton, Mountrail, Oliver, Pierce, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Sheridan, Sioux, Slope, Stark, Steele, Stutsman, Walsh, Ward, Wells, Williams.

Names, range and relatives

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

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 529 counties across 18 states; the most are in Kansas (73), Texas (63), Missouri (60).

Other Astragalus on Bloomipedia (12): Woollypod milkvetch, Woolly locoweed, Drummond's milkvetch, Laxmann's milkvetch, Early purple milkvetch, Alpine 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 South Dakota flowers

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Wild licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota)

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Sources