Peanut plant

Peanuts are also called groundnuts, but in fact they are a legume. After the plant has flowered (with yellow butterfly-like flowers), the fertilized flowers grow into the ground, where the pods develop. This made harvesting labor-intensive, as the soil around the plant had to be completely loosened to be able to pick all the shoots undamaged. Nowadays, this is, of course, done mechanically. Peanuts originally came from South America and were brought to Europe by Columbus at the end of the fifteenth century. As a global food, the peanut is an important source of proteins and fats. Unroasted (raw) peanuts can be shelled and eaten. For human consumption, however, it is customary to roast the peanuts first. In winter, they can be used unshelled to string together for birds. Peanut plants are annuals and cannot tolerate frost; in fact, they are real cold-sensitive plants! In the Netherlands, they grow best in pots and can be brought indoors in September to live on for a while... For 1 plant, a pot of 20-30 cm is needed, 3 plants 40-50 cm, etc. They grow to about 20-40 cm high. Give them nutritious potting soil and plenty of light; they can be in the sun.

Names:
Latin: Arachis hypogaea
Dutch: Peanut plant
Also: Groundnut
English: Ground-Nut, Pea-Nut