Ground Plum produces plump, grape-like seed pods that are edible when young. Indigenous people and early settlers often ate them raw or cooked.
Unlike Canada Milkvetch, Ground Plum is prostrate to low-growing, forming mats close to the ground with stems that can sprawl several feet.
Like other legumes, it improves soil fertility through symbiotic nitrogen fixation, benefiting nearby plants.
Provides food for wildlife—seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals, and foliage offers forage for deer and other herbivores.
Once more common in prairies, Ground Plum has declined due to habitat loss but remains a hardy plant in restoration projects.
Ground Plum produces plump, grape-like seed pods that are edible when young. Indigenous people and early settlers often ate them raw or cooked.
Unlike Canada Milkvetch, Ground Plum is prostrate to low-growing, forming mats close to the ground with stems that can sprawl several feet.
Like other legumes, it improves soil fertility through symbiotic nitrogen fixation, benefiting nearby plants.
Provides food for wildlife—seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals, and foliage offers forage for deer and other herbivores.
Once more common in prairies, Ground Plum has declined due to habitat loss but remains a hardy plant in restoration projects.
Bloom: spring to early summer
Habitats: open grasslands; prairies; rocky slopes
Lifespan: perennial
Moisture: mesic to dry
Plant type (height): forb (6 to 12 inches)
Requirements: full sun
Soil: calcareous; sandy
