Quercus

Canadian Milkvetch

Astragalus canadensis

Native to Kentucky (estimated)

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

14CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Astragalus

  • Abaeis nicippeSleepy Orange, Sleepy Yellow, Erratic Orange
  • Cecropterus bathyllusSouthern Cloudywing
  • Cecropterus pyladesNorthern Cloudywing
  • Colias eurythemeOrange Sulphur, Alfalfa Butterfly
  • Colias philodiceClouded Sulphur, Clover Butterfly
  • Cupido comyntasEastern Tailed-Blue
  • Dicymolomia julianalisJulia's Dicymolomia
  • Digrammia eremiataThree-Lined Angle
  • Epargyreus clarusSilver-Spotted Skipper
  • Gesta baptisiaeWild Indigo Duskywing, Baptisia Duskywing
Show all 14
  • Glaucopsyche lygdamusSilvery Blue
  • Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
  • Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
  • Walshia miscecolorellaSweetclover Root Borer Moth
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
7BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Astragalus

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Astragalus

  • Anthidium clypeodentatum
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
4BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Astragalus

  • Alectoris chukarChukar
  • Centrocercus urophasianusGreater Sage-Grouse
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Ortalis vetulaPlain Chachalaca
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
Adult butterflies / moths 1
  • Thanaos martialis

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

Other wasps 1
  • Leionotus fundatus

Flower visits · Carlinville, Illinois, USA

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Fabaceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–8b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Cream, yellow, green or white
Growth rate
Moderate
Growth habit
Spreads by runners
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Canadian Milkvetch

Conservation status

Kentucky rankNot available
Global rankG5
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources