This native vine's edible tubers are having a moment
iNaturalist Community
Foraging
The tangled vine climbing fence lines near wetlands and stream banks this time of year might be American groundnut, a plant Indigenous communities relied on for its potato-like tubers long before modern agriculture arrived.
American groundnut is a native vine that grows small purple-brown flowers and produces strings of tubers underground, kind of like beads on a necklace. Those tubers are edible and packed with protein, which made the plant a staple food for Native Americans and early European colonists. Right now a lot of people on iNaturalist are spotting and logging it, so it's trending as one of the most-observed plants this week.
Key Findings
262 research-grade observations logged this week, placing American groundnut among the most-observed plant species on iNaturalist
The vine produces underground tubers historically used as a food source by Indigenous peoples and early colonists
High observation volume suggests active growing/foraging season and heightened community interest in the species
chevron_right Technical Summary
American groundnut, a native vine with edible, protein-rich tubers, is having a big week on iNaturalist with 262 verified sightings, signaling a surge of interest in this overlooked wild food plant.
Abstract Preview
Original paper
Trending: American groundnut (Apios americana) — 262 observations this week
American groundnut is among the most observed plant species this week with 262 research-grade observations.
open_in_new Read full abstractAbstract copyright held by the original publisher.
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Apios americana, sometimes called the American groundnut, potato bean, hopniss, Indian potato, hodoimo, America-hodoimo, cinnamon vine, or groundnut is a deciduous or evergreen perennial vine that bears edible beans and large edible tubers.