Horse gram plant
Seed Saving

Horse Gram

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Horse gram is a tough, drought-tolerant legume that's just as forgiving for seed saving as it is to grow -- self-pollinating with essentially no crossing risk to manage.

New to terms like isolation distance or outcrossing? See the Seed-Saving Glossary.

Seed-Saving Difficulty

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Safe to Save
Very low crossing risk.

How It's Pollinated

Self-pollinating

(Very low crossing risk)

Scientific name: Macrotyloma uniflorum

Domestic Crops It Can Cross With

  • Minimal crossing between varieties

Wild Relatives & Feral Species

  • No significant wild relatives in most home garden regions

Separation Distances Required

Minimum: 5-10m between varieties

Recommended: Not usually needed beyond this

Strict: Not usually needed

Seed-Saving Strategies

  • Extremely drought-tolerant -- allow pods to dry fully on the plant even in dry conditions
  • Harvest when pods are brown and brittle
  • Shell and thresh
  • Store dry -- viable 4-5 years

Related Resources

Growing Horse Gram

Full growing guide for your climate zone.

Seed-Saving Helper

Check crossing risks and isolation distances for all your crops in one place.