Astragalus

Astragalus mongholicus

Fabaceae

A northern Chinese milkvetch root simmered for months of recovery — not an acute cold rescue.

Traditional Chinese root (huang qi). A food-soup herb in that tradition.

Parts used: Root
Traditional notes: Recovery after illness · Low immunity folklore · Fatigue of the long kind
Grow · USDA 6b: Perennial, USDA 3–8 Scarify seed. A dedicated row. Patience. In work: Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct
Harvest: Roots in autumn of year 3–4.

Deep soil. A forked root is a rocky-bed problem.
Do not harvest young. The medicine is time.
Dried slices from a known grower are how most kitchens meet it.

Safety

Organ transplant Active autoimmune flare without a clinician Acute fever in some classical systems

Lore

Huáng qí, yellow leader, a Chinese tonic root that looks like a tongue depressor. It is a legume of dry north China, now a farm crop. The sweet, fibrous chew is the old quality test.

The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.