Peanut

Arachis hypogaea L.

Origin: Central Brazil

Warm-season annual
MAJOR FOOD ALLERGEN (FDA)
Nitrogen-fixing

Pet & Human Safety

People: Toxic to peoplePets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them

Human edibility

Edible

Edible parts

seed (whole, roasted, or pressed for oil/butter)

Hazardous parts

seed, for allergic individuals only: not a general-population hazard

Preparation

not applicable for the allergy hazard: avoidance, not preparation, is the mitigation for an allergic individual

Hazard type

food allergy: one of FDA's nine major recognized US food allergens (one of the original eight under FALCPA, 2004)

Hazard route

ingestion, direct contact, cross-contact, or inhalation: NC State Extension specifically notes all four routes for this allergen

How complete this information is

The safety information on this page is complete as far as our sources go. That is not a statement that the plant is safe.

Toxic to pets

No ASPCA entry found.

No pet-safety verdict is given, rather than a guess. For humans, NC State Extension itself flags this as a high-severity poison entry: peanut-allergic reactions can involve the skin, respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract from direct contact, cross-contact, or inhalation, with the toxic principle being seed storage proteins (Ara h 1-13) in the seed. This is an allergy risk, not a general-population toxicity risk: see the hazard information below.

Patent / trademark

not applicable

Poison control

If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.

Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.

Naturalist Lore

Historical Background & Breeding Lore

The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.

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Care

Hardiness zones: Herbaceous perennial grown as a warm-season annual everywhere.
Water needs: Specific irrigation figures not given; NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox did not specify.
Mature size: 9 in to 1.5 ft tall and wide; erect, prostrate, or spreading habit.
Family: Fabaceae (legume family)

Soil & Drainage

Pruning & Flush Rhythm

Feeding Schedule

How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.

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