What does the milkvetch tree look like? A detailed introduction to its appearance and characteristics

The Chinese scientific name of the milkvetch tree is Huangqi (Astragalus), and in China it is distributed in regions such as Northeast China, North China and Northwest China, generally growing at forest edges, in shrublands or under open woodland, so what does the milkvetch tree look like?

1. Growth habits of the milkvetch tree

The milkvetch tree is a plant of the Fabaceae (legume) family and the genus Astragalus, and it is also a medicinal plant. The main medicinal part is the root of the milkvetch tree. The root of the milkvetch tree is sweet in taste and slightly warm in nature, and has effects such as tonifying qi and securing the exterior, promoting diuresis and being antibacterial, expelling toxins, draining pus, and promoting tissue regeneration.

The milkvetch tree generally grows in the temperate and warm temperate regions of China. It likes sunlight and a cool climate, is drought-tolerant, and is not tolerant of waterlogging. It has a relatively strong cold resistance, and mostly grows on sunny slopes in the middle and lower parts of hillsides, as well as at forest edges, in shrublands, in grassy areas among trees, under open woodland and in meadows. The aboveground part is not cold-resistant; around the time of Frost's Descent, most of the leaves have already fallen, the aboveground part dies in winter, and in the following spring new shoots emerge again from the perennial root.

2. What does the milkvetch tree look like?

The milkvetch tree is a perennial herbaceous plant 50-100 cm tall. Its main root is thick and fleshy, woody, often branched, and grayish white. The stem is upright, mostly branched in the upper part, with fine ridges, and is covered with white soft hairs. The leaves of Huangqi (Astragalus) are pinnately compound, generally with 13-27 leaflets, and 5-10 cm long.

3. Pest and disease control of the milkvetch tree

The pests and diseases of the milkvetch tree are generally Fusarium wilt, powdery mildew and small weevils, among which:

1. Fusarium wilt is a root disease caused by fungi. The control method is not to plant it on acidic soil, not to cultivate it in low-lying land, and not to grow it in continuous cropping. A 5% lime water or a 1000-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder can be used to drench the diseased holes.

2. Powdery mildew is a disease that mainly damages leaves and pods. The control method is to spray 2-3 times with a 1500-fold dilution of 25% triadimefon or a 1:1:120 Bordeaux mixture at the early stage of the disease; a 1000-fold dilution of 50% amobam aqueous solution or a 1000-fold dilution of 50% thiophanate wettable powder can also be used for spray control.

3. For the control of small weevils, a 2000-fold dilution of trichlorfon can be sprayed every 10 days after emergence to kill the adults.