Astragalus whitneyi
Balloon milkvetch, Balloon Milkvetch
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Astragalus whitneyi (Balloon milkvetch) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by distinctive inflated pods.
Balloon milkvetch is a California native perennial found in western Sierra Nevada Mountains and inner Coast Ranges in dry rocky habitats. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces cream to pink-purple flowers in small clusters of 3 to 16 blossoms, with banner petals recurving at 50 to 80 degrees. Growing with several ascending or erect stems 10 to 40 centimeters tall and covered in silvery hairs, it forms a low, open, and widely branched structure. Its leaves feature 5 to 21 small leaflets, each 2 to 21 millimeters long, ranging from oblong to obovate in shape. The distinctive fruit is a pendulous, bladdery pod 15 to 60 millimeters long, often mottled red or purple and papery in texture.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; distinctive inflated pods
Habitat and range
California counties: Ventura, Inyo, Kern, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Amador, Alpine, Madera, Siskiyou, Tuolumne, Nevada, Tulare, Placer, Trinity, Plumas, Sierra
How to tell it apart
vs Vicia: Astragalus has racemes of flowers; vetches (Vicia) have tendrils at leaf tips and climbing or sprawling habit.; vs Oxytropis: Astragalus keel tip is rounded to slightly pointed; Oxytropis keel has a pronounced pointed beak.; vs Cleomella: Astragalus has pea-shaped flowers; Cleomella has 4-petaled cruciform flowers with long stamens.; vs Lupinus: Astragalus has pinnate compound leaves; lupines have palmate leaves (leaflets radiating from one point).; vs Dalea: Astragalus has typical pea flowers; Dalea has tiny flowers with petals attached to the stamen tube.
Frequently asked questions
Is Astragalus whitneyi native to California?
Yes. Astragalus whitneyi is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Astragalus whitneyi grow?
Astragalus whitneyi occurs in Ventura, Inyo, Kern, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Amador, Alpine and other counties.
What plant family does Astragalus whitneyi belong to?
Astragalus whitneyi is in the Fabaceae family, genus Astragalus.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Astragalus whitneyi var. confusus — Conelike milkvetch
- Astragalus whitneyi var. lenophyllus — Woolly-leaved milkvetch
- Astragalus whitneyi var. siskiyouensis — Siskiyou milkvetch
- Astragalus whitneyi var. whitneyi — Balloonpod milkvetch
- Astragalus accidens var. hendersonii — Henderson's milkvetch
- Astragalus acutirostris — Beaked rattle weed
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.