Peanut
Arachis hypogaea
Flowers bury themselves to make peanuts underground. Wants a long, warm season.
Hardiness: zones 6 to 11
Light: full sun
Size: about 1.5 ft tall, 2 ft wide
Harvest: September to October
From: South America
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, fixing nitrogen in the soil.
Native to: Tropical South America. Hardy in zones 6 to 11.
The story
Peanuts were domesticated in the Andes and grown by the Inca and Guaraní; Portuguese ships carried them to Africa and Asia, and they came to North America with the slave trade. George Washington Carver's work at Tuskegee gave Southern farmers a crop beyond cotton.
Planting
Full sun, loose sandy soil, and a long warm season of 120 days; sow shelled raw peanuts 2 inches deep after frost, 6 inches apart.
Growing
Water modestly, hill soil lightly around the plants, and do not disturb once the flower pegs push into the ground. No nitrogen.
Harvest and use
Dig the whole plant in autumn when the leaves yellow; hang to cure two weeks, then pull the pods and dry further before roasting or boiling green.
What to watch for
Rot in heavy wet soil, leaf spot, and squirrels digging.
See if Peanut fits your yard
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More annual vegetables, herbs and grains
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home