How to Grow and Care for Locoweeds

Field locoweed (Oxytropis campestris) can cause loco disease in cattle that ingest it. Symptoms include paralysis, reduced appetite, loss of reproductive abilities, and impaired vision. Swainsonine, the chemical compound that causes these adverse effects, has shown great promise as an anti-cancer drug.

Purple Loco-Weed (Oxytropis lambertii) is a perennial herb native to parts of North America that produces showy flowers. This species is also known as woolly locoweed and Lambert crazyweed. It is toxic to livestock.

Oxytropis helvetica presents as a hardy alpine perennial, flourishing in the rocky, cool landscapes of high altitudes. Sporting dense clusters of purple to violet flowers atop slender stems, oxytropis helvetica is easily distinguished by its pinnate leaves that form a feathery backdrop. This plant's rugged compactness and bloom, from June to August, are a testament to its adaptation to the harsh, windswept environments it calls home.