Gardening information on Astragalus
Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) is a hardy herb that grows well in Zones 6 and 7 and bloom in and around June to August depending on how often the sun appears to hit the herb during these peek seasons.
This herb prefers to grow in light sandy soil that is semi-dry. The unfortunate thing about Astragalus is that it can not survive in shade. If you plant astragalus in your flowerbed, make sure your bed gets plenty of sun throughout the day light hours.
When you harvest Astragalus make sure the seeds have matured and this normally happens around September and possibly earlier depending on your Zone location.
Astragalus is an herb that has been around and was first used in Chinese medicine to help with the flu and colds. The herb itself can help your body adapt to stress and have been shown in test to protect the liver in more ways than one.
At your local farmer’s co-op you can even find dried astragalus if you do not wish to grow it yourself. Herbs are a great thing and can be grown in almost any Zone. You can take astragalus about three times a day and about 1 tsp. will do or you can take it in capsule form that can be found at a local health food store. You can add the dried or fresh, if you grow it yourself, herb to soup stock, or even add it in with your fresh, stemmed veggies. Be sure and remove the herb before consuming.
Herbs are otherwise safe to consume but, if you currently are on medication that is something other than a multivitamin, discuss with your doctor before taking astragalus. It could inter-act with some medications. To learn more about growing astragalus, click here.
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