American Groundnut (Apios americana) is a perennial ground cover-like vine growing 1-6 meters with both edible beans and tasty and nutritious tubers. It may be a surprise to most Americans that it is commonly cultivated as a source of food, just not often in America. What was previously a staple of Native American diets, it seems to have disappeared in modern America due to a lack of domestication. It is, of course, still consumed by foraging Americans, and attempts to domesticate have been made. And while there is some debate about how the groundnut made its way to Japan, it has been grown and consumed there for over a century. Make sure to cook the tubers should you decide to try any.
As a larval host plant, the American groundnut is used by the Juvenal’s Dusky Wing, Long-tailed Skipper, Silver-spotted Skipper, Southern Cloudy Wing.
Map Source:
USDA Plant Profiles