Arachis hypogaea Seeds | Red Peanut
LATIN NAME: Arachis hypogaea
COMMON NAME: Peanut
Plant Profile
Known to gardeners as Peanut, Arachis hypogaea is an annual in the pea family. It likes sun, and light, sandy, well-drained soil. Pollinating insects take to the flowers at once, adding a little wildlife interest to its garden value. In combination, these characteristics make a persuasive case for growing it.
Science & Biotechnology
Seed science, comparative botany and horticultural selection all touch on Arachis hypogaea, a representative of the pea family with clear practical value. Underground ripening of peanut fruits gives it a long place in research on warm-season oilseed legumes of pea family, and hypogaea species appears in studies of stalk-burrowing habit and seed oil and protein chemistry. Modern propagation practice has made this species straightforward to raise by ordinary good methods.
Uses & Benefits
Gardeners value Peanut for its ornamental character, and the plant also fits naturally into herb, vegetable and cutting gardens. In warm garden, peanut burrows summer garden with hidden pods. Kernels serve snacks, butters and oils for generations, yellow flowers open for bees, and roots enrich the soil. It grows well in light, sandy, well-drained, sunny ground. It takes hold quickly and asks for no special treatment from then on.
The peanut is a protein-and-folate-rich legume whose skins carry resveratrol-family polyphenols; in Chinese folk practice peanut-skin tea is a gentle tonic, and peanut oil is among the finest frying oils.
Growing from Seed
Raising Peanut from seed is straightforward. Scatter the seed evenly over a loose seed compost, cover to no more than its own depth, and keep the pot moist and bright. Shift the seedlings into small pots as soon as they can be handled, and give them bright light until planting-out time.
Our Take
Peanut repays a little patience at sowing time with plenty of garden presence later.
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