National Collection Spotlight: Violet Milkvetch

Violet Milkvetch (Astragalus iodopetalus) in flower and almost ready for collection as part of the CPC-USFS Region 3 seed collection funding. Photo credit: Maria Mullins.

Violet Milkvetch (Astragalus iodopetalus) is a vulnerable species native to Colorado and New Mexico. This species lives in forests and shrublands, occurring in several National Forests, though most known occurrences of this species are considered historical. In 2021, several scouting trips and subsequent collections expeditions conducted by the Institute for Applied Ecology (IAE) in New Mexico found two populations in the state, both of which appeared to be increasing in size at the time. Historic data for occurrences of this species allowed IAE to locate these two populations which had been previously documented in the Santa Fe National Forest.

Violet Milkvetch is held in the CPC National Collection at the Institute for Applied Ecology and the USDA-ARS National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation. IAE collected this species in 2021 as part of the CPC and U.S. Forest Service Rare Plant Seed Banking Agreement.

Learn more about conservation actions taken for Violet Milkvetch on its National Collection Plant Profile, and help support critical conservation work for this species with a Plant Sponsorship.