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rhizoma peanut

Arachis hagenbeckii · Fabaceae

rhizoma peanut (Arachis hagenbeckii) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Fabaceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 8 and warmer, down to about 17°F.

At a glance

Typeforb-herb USDA
Lifecycleperennial USDA
Native statusintroduced USDA
Mature height1.3 ft USDA
Lightfull-sun USDA
Water needmedium USDA
Growth raterapid USDA
Soil pH5–7.5 USDA
BloomJuly USDA
Flower colorYellow USDA
Hardiness zones8 and warmer USDA
Guild layerground-cover Derived
Nursery availabilityRoutinely Available USDA

USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.

Growing conditions

It needs full sun. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated medium. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 7.5 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 8.

Size and growth

At maturity it reaches about 1.3 ft, making it a low, mat-forming plant. It grows quickly.

Bloom period

USDA records a bloom period of July. Flowers are yellow.

A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.

Foliage, flower and season

Summer foliage is green, fine in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its active growth period is spring, summer, fall. USDA rates its lifespan as long.

What the site needs to provide

USDA records it across sites receiving 36 to 60 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 365 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 20 inches. Fertility requirement: low — no feeding needed on ordinary garden soil.

Propagating it

Sprigs is the only propagation method USDA lists. It spreads vegetatively at a rapid rate.

Resilience and wildlife

Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant. Its fire tolerance is rated high. Its growth form is recorded as rhizomatous.

Role in a guild

Ground cover. In a layered planting this is the lowest layer — it shades soil, holds moisture, and suppresses weeds. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.

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Tags

deciduousdrought-tolerantsandy-soildeer-resistantspreadingintroducednitrogen-fixerfull-sunfast-growingground-cover

Related plants

Similar role and hardiness

Where this data comes from

Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol ARHA10, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.

Read our full data sources and methodology.

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