Do Peanuts Grow on Trees? A Close Look at How These Legumes Grow
Peanuts are a popular snack and food ingredient yet most people don’t know much about how they grow. The most common misconception is that peanuts grow on trees like walnuts or almonds. However, peanuts are not actually nuts at all – they are legumes related to beans and peas. This unique growing process causes a lot of confusion about where peanuts originate. Let’s take a closer look at the lifecycle of the peanut plant to gain a better understanding of how these tasty legumes develop.
What Are Peanuts?
Peanuts, also known as groundnuts or goobers, belong to the Fabaceae plant family along with beans, lentils, peas, and soybeans. Their scientific name is Arachis hypogaea. While commonly thought of as a nut, the peanut is technically a legume as its shell grows underground rather than being enclosed in a hard casing on a tree.
Peanuts are grown commercially in over 100 countries, with the top producers being China India Nigeria, and the United States. They are rich in protein, dietary fiber, and various vitamins and minerals. In addition to being eaten raw or roasted as a popular snack, peanuts are used to make peanut butter, peanut oil, candies, and many other food products.
Where Do Peanuts Grow?
Unlike tree nuts that develop above ground attached to branches, peanuts form and mature underground. The peanut plant has a bushy growth habit, reaching 1-2 feet tall, sometimes up to 5 feet. Since they have a low spreading structure, peanut plants could not support the weight of a mature pod grown above ground like typical legumes. Instead, they have adapted to produce their seeds, commonly called nuts, below the soil surface.
Peanut Growth Stages
Now that we know peanuts do not actually grow on trees, let’s look at the unique stages of the peanut plant’s development:
Planting – Peanuts are planted from seed in the early spring once the threat of frost has passed. They thrive best in sandy, calcium rich soil and require a long growing season of 120-140 frost-free days.
Flowering – In early summer, bright yellow peanut flowers bloom above ground at the base of the plant and on lateral branches. The flowers are self-pollinating and only last for 1 day before withering away.
Pegging – As the flowers fade, a narrow stalk called a peg emerges where the wilted bloom was located. This peg elongates and grows down toward the ground.
Pod Development – Once the peg tip penetrates the soil surface, it begins to swell and form the peanut shell and seeds. Pods contain 2-4 oval shaped seeds on average.
Maturing – Inside the soil, the shell and kernels continue growing larger until the peanuts have reached full maturity in the fall when leaves start to turn yellow.
Harvesting Peanuts
Timing is critical when harvesting peanuts. Farmers begin the process after the peanuts have reached maturity but before the plants die off completely. Here are the main steps:
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Digging – Special digger machines are used to lift the plants and bring pods to the surface. This cuts the taproot about 1 inch underground.
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Picking – Plants are inverted over the ground for 2-3 days of field curing. This dries pods and makes them easier to pick off vines.
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Threshing – Vines are separated and discarded from peanuts using a thresher.
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Cleaning – Peanuts are inspected, cleaned, and graded according to size and quality.
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Drying – Any remaining moisture is removed using forced warm air before the peanuts are shelled and processed.
If peanuts are left in the ground too long, the peg detaches making them impossible to dig up. Timing peanut harvesting correctly results in the best flavor and highest yields.
Uses for Peanuts
Thanks to their sweet nutty taste, crunchy texture, and stellar nutritional profile, peanuts have many culinary uses:
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Snacking – Raw, roasted, salted, honey roasted, and chocolate covered peanuts are popular snack foods. In-shell peanuts are also enjoyed at baseball games, fairs, etc.
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Peanut Butter – Made by grinding shelled nuts into a paste, this creamy spread is a staple on sandwiches and more.
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Baking – Peanut oil has a high smoke point perfect for frying and cooking. Peanuts add flavor, crunch, and protein to many baked goods.
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Candy – Peanuts are essential for making peanut brittle, buckeyes, peanut butter cups, and other sweet treats.
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Cooking – Shelled peanuts enhance the texture and nutrition of many savory dishes including salads, stir fries, curries, soups, and more.
Beyond being an important global food crop, peanuts also have many non-edible uses from fuel to cosmetics. Their versatility comes from the unusual way these legumes develop – underground.
Conclusion
Even though they have the word “nut” in their name, peanuts are actually more closely related to beans than to tree nuts. Unlike walnuts or pecans that grow above ground, peanut pods sprout, form, and mature in the soil. This unique growing process protects the seeds and leads to peanuts being called groundnuts. Next time you snack on peanuts or peanut butter, remember the fascinating underground origin of these nutritious, tasty legumes. They may not grow on trees, but their growth habit and flavor are definitely out of this world!
Farmers Harvest 140 to 150 Days After Planting.
When the plant has matured and the peanuts are ready for harvest, the farmer waits until the soil is not too wet or too dry before digging. When conditions are right, he or she drives a digger up and down the green rows of peanut plants. The digger pulls up the plant, gently shakes off any lingering soil, rotates the plant and lays it back down in a “windrow”—with peanuts up and leaves down.
“Pegging” is a Unique Feature.
This budding ovary is called a “peg.” The peg enlarges and grows down and away from the plant forming a small stem which extends to the soil. The peanut embryo is in the tip of the peg, which penetrates the soil. The embryo turns horizontal to the soil surface and begins to mature taking the form of a peanut. The plant continues to grow and flower, eventually producing some 40 or more pods. From planting to harvesting, the growing cycle of a peanut takes four to five months, depending on the type and variety.
Full – 90 Days Growing Peanut – Time Lapse – Seed to Peanuts
FAQ
Why is it illegal to grow peanuts?
In 1949, the U.S. Congress made it illegal to grow peanuts without a federal license. According to The Washington Times, the government created the license to limit federal spending. There was even a point where the government stopped giving out licenses so no one new could begin selling peanuts.
Are peanuts the only nuts that grow in the ground?
All nuts notably grow on trees, unlike peanuts, which grow underground. The peanut plant is also unusual in that it produces flowers above ground, but fruits below—a rare process known as geocarpy.
Can you eat peanuts right off the plant?
They are a root crop so you’ve gotta dig them just like you do with potatoes. Also the ones you eat at the ballpark are boiled or roasted. The ones straight out of the ground are raw. So yeah you can eat peanuts as you harvest them.
Are wild peanuts edible?
Wild peanut species were an important source of proteins in the past and some continue to be used for food and medicinal purposes, especially in Brazil and Paraguay. The peanut is consumed raw, roasted or cooked as an ingredient in a variety of dishes; it is also used to make oil and peanut butter.