Plant · P-894

Astragalus

Astragalus membranaceus

Astragalus, or huang qi, is a hardy nitrogen-fixing perennial in the pea family, grown for a thick, sweet-tasting root that is one of the most widely used tonic herbs in East Asian medicine and for its value as a bee-friendly, erosion-controlling ground cover. It stays low and clumping at about 30 cm tall and wide, needs full sun and a dry, well-drained, neutral to mildly alkaline soil, and resents being transplanted once its root system is established. The four-year-old root is dried and used as an immune and energy tonic, and current research shows it does not cause liver injury at typical doses, though animal studies point to a fetal toxicity risk and it may worsen symptoms in people with autoimmune disease or those on immune-suppressing medication.