Lathyrus tuberosus vs Apios Americana

Lathyrus tuberosus vs Apios Americana …. When do you prefer or use one over the other ? Thank you

Interesting question, I'm also interested in the responses.
I'm still experimenting with both here. I finally got some Lathyrus tuberosa to germinate and grow this year, but am yet to try it for palatability. I suspect that they will thrive in slightly different environments. Apios Americana seems to like it slightly warmer and wetter than Lathyrus tuberosa, but when it gets going it is obviously a much bigger plant, and I suspect will yield more. Lathyrus tuberosa also seems to be rather tasty for slugs, which might limit it's usefulness to me.

I bought plants of both in the spring (well, I thought I was buying tubers, but both arrived as plants) and put them in the same raised bed a couple of feet apart with some trellis support. The lathyrus is growing okay, though not quite thriving. I think the afternoon sun in that location might be a bit too intense for it. Both were attacked by slugs due to the very wet weather after planting. The lathyrus weathered the attacks, the apios looked to be recovering but then completely disappeared. :(

Thank you for the replies!!! Do you have ducks in your systems to eat these slugs?

No ducks. Unfortunately we're not set up for livestock as the tiny suburban property we currently live on where I planted them really isn't suitable (impossible to fence safely!).

i haven’t been able to track a lathyrus of my own to play with yet, but love my apios. fairly productive, good flavor. a bit of management to figure out (can spread widely, and in a way that’s difficult to harvest, unless planned for).

No ducks. Toads, birds, beetles, but I choose not to be responsible for livestock (just a couple of dogs) Usually the slugs aren't too much trouble, but this summer has been particularly cool and damp. I'm hoping that the lathyrus (if it survives the winter underground!) will be stronger next year.

greg mosser wrote:i haven’t been able to track a lathyrus of my own to play with yet, but love my apios. fairly productive, good flavor. a bit of management to figure out (can spread widely, and in a way that’s difficult to harvest, unless planned for).

To verify, it spreads via underground? if in smaller systems like in suburbia with property lines, if in containers that should be fine for not spreading into the neighbors property?

yep, apios makes its tubers in long strings that can go quite a ways. growing in containers solves that, but they’re a riparian species that likes lots of regular water, so containers mean more active watering…

more info about apios in the thread where i sell starter tubers:
https://permies.com/t/154432/SALE-Apios-americana-Groundnut-select

Thank you, how does water requirements then compare to earth peanut?


On the apios, have you used another container as an olla with success if also growing the apios american in containers?

how do they do in mixed shade? can either one be grown north side of a fence?

Is there a preferred supplier of earth peanut? Thanks

Can't really speak for the Apios yet. We have a plant, but it's in full-ish sun and still not thriving. Our Lathyrus is not in full sun, seems to be growing ok but not exactly thriving either (no flowers or seeds yet) and so far we haven't harvested either one. Last year I accidentally pulled up one of the Lathyrus seedlings while weeding (I grew some from seed and bought a few plants) and considering that it hadn't been growing for more than three months in part shade it had quite a nice-sized tuber. Will move some to the hilltop next year, would be nice if they could be persuaded to flower (so I can share some seeds on Permies )