Apios Americana; Lukckuk Ahe aka Hopniss

[raf]

Pictured is Apios americana, they're flowering now.

Lukckuk Ahe is the Choctaw name for it which means mud potato. 

I've found this plant all over Eastern OK, it may very well be farther West I just don't traipse out that way. 
I've always found them along river/creek banks, I don't know why but mostly along the Southern banks. 
I have some planted from seed among my fruit trees. They seem to grow readily from winter sown seed and do just fine in full sun away from the river bank.

I think the roots taste like a cross between peanut & potato. In the Fall there's a latex in the roots, I recommend parboiling before cooking to remove it. I can't differentiate between the 4" beans and domestic green beans although Apios will get tougher sooner.

LSU was working with Apios but I believe they aren't any longer, Oikos and others have some of the improved LSU rhizomes available at times.

There are pages and pages found on the internet about Apios if you're interested. 

[heavyhitterokra]

Very interesting post, raf, thanks, for introducing us to this plant.

[raf]

Bon,
So far I haven't had any losses with the plantings. Being a native from the immediate area I assume it's very well adapted (I got the seed within a few hundred yards of where my orchard is) to my location.
I suspect it has a high water requirement since I don't find the plants very far from waterways. I can't think of time I spotted it beyond a flood plain.
There's another plant I'll try to post about in a few days that might be better for your situation, it's Phaseolus polystachios (Wild Thicket Bean).

[boiledpeanut]

Hi Raf,
I want to collect some wild beans of this myself in hopes of find a variety that produces a good amount of feertile pods alongside tubers.

Have you had any luck with that?

If you want to trade, I have some perennial thicket beans that may interest you.

[raf]

I have noticed some vines producing more pods than others, of the ones I've gathered I haven't made any selections. I don't have seed on hand but would be happy to gather some this Fall if you like. I can gather tubers at any time my schedule permits but I can't say for certain that the particular tubers I gather would be more likely to produce seed.

[boiledpeanut]

Sure I'm interested! Keep us all updated and I'm ready to trade any time you are.

[macmex]

Raf sent me some roots of this and it appeared they died out on me, last summer, but today I found two sprouts coming back up where I'd planted them. It'll be interesting to see if this one becomes productive now that it has a place that it likes.

[heavyhitterokra]

That's great news, George! The plants are Looking good. You have a near-perfect location there so near the creek too, they ought to like it there.