The seeds are currently in frozen storage at -20C at Desert Botanical Garden and at the National Seed Storage Lab in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Potentially the Garden has enough seeds now to attempt augmentations or re-introductions at more than one site.

Desert Botanical Garden collected seeds of Astragalus hypoxylus from both sites in 1991 and 1992. Two germination tests were conducted in 1992, yielding percentages of 66 and 76. These tests provided living plants to be used for research and production of additional seeds in cultivation. In 1996, plants growing outdoors in a test area produced over 14,000 seeds which were hand-cleaned. This labor-intensive task took several months, involving separation of the two fruit halves, removal of the two septae enclosing each half, and extraction of the seeds which were approximately 2 mm across. The seeds are currently in frozen storage at -20C at Desert Botanical Garden and at the National Seed Storage Lab in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Potentially the Garden has enough seeds now to attempt augmentations or re-introductions at more than one site.

This species' known range is restricted to the Patagonia and Huachuca Mountains in extreme southeastern Arizona, and three locations in Yecora, Sonora Mexico. Five populations are known, one of which is in an area that is known to receive heavy recreational use.

Threats are attributed to trampling by humans and cattle. (Desert Botanical Garden 2000)

Three populations are known from the Huachuca Mountains in southern Arizona (USFWS 1996).

Monitoring plots were established in 1988 and 1989 (Warren et al. 1989). Growth and reproductivity show a great deal of variance while seedling establishment and mortality are about equal (Warren et al. 1989). Desert Botanic Garden staff have noticed that a number of plants growing in disturbed areas along roadsides; shaded plants were larger that plants growing in full sun.

Sites are closely stewarded by Coronado National Forest personnel. Monitoring has been done in the past, and is still being infrequently conducted (Warren et al. 1989, Gori et al. 1990).

Relocation of parking lots along several Forest roads might prove beneficial to A. hypoxylus.

Desert Botanical Garden collected seeds of Astragalus hypoxylus from both sites in 1991 and 1992. Two germination tests were conducted in 1992, yielding percentages of 66 and 76. These tests provided living plants to be used for research and production of additional seeds in cultivation. In 1996, plants growing outdoors in a test area produced over 14,000 seeds which were hand-cleaned. This labor-intensive task took several months, involving separation of the two fruit halves, removal of the two septae enclosing each half, and extraction of the seeds which were approximately 2 mm across. The seeds are currently in frozen storage at -20C at Desert Botanical Garden and at the National Seed Storage Lab in Ft. Collins, Colorado. Potentially the Garden has enough seeds now to attempt augmentations or re-introductions at more than one site.