Description
Perennial Peanut (Arachis glabrata) is a dense groundcover that grows high quantities of edible, yellow or yellow-orange flowers. The Chico variety of Perennial Peanut is easy to control, and spreads mainly through rhizomes. Perennial Peanut is also highly useful as forage food for cattle, horses, pigs, rabbits, and any grazing livestock. It is grown to produce high-quality hay, used to control erosion, and planted as an alternative to grass in home or commercial landscapes.
Perennial Peanut can be grown in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 8 to 11, or in pots in Zones 4 to 11. Perennial Peanut likes full sun, moderate water, and grows to a maximum height of 6 inches. It can be mowed, but mowing is not necessary in the same way as it is with grass. Mowing Perennial Peanut helps the bed to grow thicker and bloom more edible flowers in spring and summer. Perennial Peanut can also be walked on, but is not recommended for high traffic pathways. Perennial Peanut is an easy to grow, dense groundcover that produces edible flowers and valuable livestock forage food.
Chico Perennial Peanut Care
Plant Perennial Peanut rhizomes or started plants in spring. Remove all other weeds and grass from the planting area and rake the soil so that it is relatively level. Space new plants at 6 to 10 inches apart and cover with light mulch or hay to keep the soil from washing away before the Perennial Peanut plants become established. Water new plants once per week and remove any vigorous weeds that arise in the planting area.
Once established, Perennial Peanut needs very little in the way of maintenance or care. Perennial Peanut is resistant to many diseases and pests, and the growing vines can take full sun, short periods of drought, grazing, and the moderate foot traffic of passing animals or people. Perennial Peanut can be mowed which will help the bed create a dense ground cover, but mowing is optional. Cuttings can be potted in late summer and the new plants overwintered indoors in a bright location.
Chico Perennial Peanut Harvesting
Perennial Peanut grows pretty, edible flowers that look like tiny orchid blooms. Harvest the abundant flowers in spring and summer with sharp kitchen shears. Fresh picked Perennial Peanut flowers should be used right away, and the best place to store them is growing on the plant. Just harvest a bunch of the flowers whenever you need them. The flowers will last refrigerated for up to 3 days, but are best when fresh. Perennial Peanut flowers can be added to salads and have a slightly nutty taste.
Perennial Peanut plants are also used to feed livestock. Animals can be allowed to graze on the nutritious greens, the plants can be harvested for fresh livestock food, or the dried plants can be used to make hay. Perennial Peanut hay is considered one of the highest quality hay livestock foods available. Many farmers in the southern U.S. grow fields of Perennial Peanut for processing into a valuable hay crop.
Advice
Perennial Peanut plants are often used to replace grass for entire lawns, but the dense, low-growing creeper has other uses if you still wish to keep your tidy green grass lawn. Perennial Peanut plants are great to replace grass in hard to mow or reach areas. Perennial Peanut can be planted on steep slopes, around large rocks, and in narrow borders between structures or around fences. Perennial Peanut is also a good choice for out of the way areas like back pastures or the edges of wooded lots.
Perennial Peanut plants are easy to grow and while they are normally planted as groundcover, they can also be grown in pots if you simply want a few edible flowers now and then. Plant Perennial Peanut plants in hanging baskets with well-draining potting soil. Be sure the pots have drainage holes, and hang them in full sun. Harvest the potted flowers as you need them, and cut the stems back to 8 inches, twice a year.
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