PlantFiles: Prairie Mimosa, Illinois Bundleflower, Spider Bean
Desmanthus illinoensis

Health hazards: There are no known documented cases of adverse reactions to the consumption of Desmanthus illinoensis foliage, however other plant parts are to be considered poisonous due to the high alkaloid content.

Legal status: The plant itself is not named as a controlled botanical. N,N-DMT which is contained in significant quantities in the root bark is considered a schedule-1 substance by the DEA.

Illinois bundleflower has be found to contain compounds which have antibacterial properties. The Pawnee Indians used a wash prepared from the boiled leaves to treat itch. It is very high in protein making it valuable as a forage for all classes of livestock.

San Antonio, Tx.
The prairie mimosa is a herbaceous perennial which natively ranges from Ohio to Colorado, Florida, Texas, and New Mexico. Having fine mimosa-like foliage and strongly angled, smooth, woody, erect stems which branch from the base of the plant, it grows up to 6 feet wide and tall. It prefers full sun (tolerates partial sun) and moist to average conditions, although some drought is tolerated. In fact, it ranges from dry rocky areas to damp banks. Growth is best in fertile loam, but it adapts well to other types of soil. Containing beneficial nitrogen fixating bacteria in its deep tap root and side roots, it will grow in poor soils. Because it fixes high amounts of nitrogen in the soil, it is employed to rejuvenate worn-out soil. Due to its fast root growth and the fact that it rejuvenates the soil so that other plants can prosper, it is an excellent erosion control plant. It is often used in rangeland revegetation programs. Diseases are seldom a problem.

The spherical flower buds appear on 1 1/4 inches long axillary flower stalks, are yellow-green and are attractive themselves. Each solitary ball-like 1/2 - 1 inch in diameter bloom head is composed of between 30 to 50 white, creamy or greenish colored 5 petaled, 5 stamened tightly clustered minute flowers. The yellowish stamens protrude from the globular flower head and the flowers point in all directions giving the appearance of a starburst which is not as airy looking as other mimosa blooms. The blooms are not scented. What makes the plant so interesting looking is that there are green flower buds, white flower heads and brownish spent flower heads occuring on the plant all at the same time.

Also, green seedpods along with mature reddish-brown to brown seedpods add interest as well. The seedpods contain hard, flat, brown, ovate to 3-sided seeds. The seeds must be scarified (rub them between two sheets of medium grit sandpaper) and soaked. They germinate within 1 to 2 weeks. The plants can be grown in containers; however, because of their tape roots and need for a large root area, they perform better in the ground.

The seeds are well liked by gamebirds, including the ring-necked pheasant, bobwhite, and greater prairie chicken. Mammalian herbivores munch on the leaves and eat the seedpods which have a high protein content. Often it is planted in pastures to feed cattle and other livestock. It is classed as is an important native legume and it produces abundant, nutritious hay.

Although some consider the blooms not showy enough to include in a cultivated garden and only recommend that they be included in native and naturalistic plantings, I find them quite attracive. Robert and Subin, the owners of the plant I photograhed, eat the green seedpods raw in salads or just by themselves because of their nutritional value. I have not tried them myself, so I do not know how they taste.