Peanut Plant (Groundnut)
Arachis hypogaea
📖 About this plant
Peanut (Arachis hypogaea), also called groundnut, monkey nut, or moongphali in Hindi, is a remarkable legume crop in the Fabaceae family, famous for its unusual reproductive strategy — the flowers are pollinated above ground, but the developing pods then bury themselves into the soil to mature underground (a process called geocarpy). Native to South America (Bolivia and Argentina), where it has been cultivated for over 3,500 years, peanuts were brought to India by the Portuguese in the 16th century and have become one of Indias most important oilseed crops. India is today one of the worlds top peanut producers, with major cultivation in Gujarat (Saurashtra — the peanut bowl of India), Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. The plant is a low-growing annual bush (30-50 cm tall) with compound leaves (typically 4 leaflets) and small yellow pea-like flowers. After pollination, the flower ovary extends into a “peg” that grows downward and penetrates the soil, where the tip develops into a peanut pod containing 1-4 seeds. This unique underground fruiting is why peanuts are also called “groundnuts.” Peanuts are nutritional powerhouses — rich in plant protein (about 25-28%), healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (about 50%), dietary fiber, vitamin E, folate, niacin, magnesium, and antioxidants including resveratrol (the same compound found in red wine). They are eaten roasted and salted as a snack, boiled (a popular snack in some regions), ground into peanut butter (which has become popular in India), used extensively in Indian cooking (peanut oil for frying, ground peanuts in chutneys like shenga chutney in Maharashtra, in savory snacks like chivda and chakli, in sweets like peanut laddoo and chikki — the famous Indian peanut brittle), and the famous “singdana” used as a fasting food. Peanut oil is one of the most common cooking oils in India, valued for its high smoke point and mild flavor.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun
Regular; reduce before harvest
Moderate (50-70%)
22-32°C
Sandy well-draining loam; pH 5.5-7.0
Inoculate with rhizobium; low-N, phosphorus/potassium
🌐 Common Names
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- South America (Bolivia and Argentina)
- 📏 Max height
- 30-50 cm
- 📐 Spread
- 30-60 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Summer; small yellow pea-like flowers
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Yellow
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Bright green compound leaves with 4 leaflets
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Annual (1 season)
- 📈 Growth rate
- Fast — harvest in 90-130 days
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic; common allergen for sensitive individuals
- 🌱 Propagation
- Seeds (direct sow)
🛡️ Health & Safety
Non-toxic; common allergen for sensitive individuals
Common issues
- Aflatoxin contamination (Aspergillus mold — major quality concern)
- early leaf spot
- late leaf spot
- rust
- peanut stem rot
- root knot nematodes
- aphids
- thrips
- jassids
- termites in sandy soils
- poor pod set from hard soils
💡 Care tips
- Direct sow seeds (raw peanuts in shell, removed) 3-5 cm deep, 10-15 cm apart in rows 45-60 cm apart, after soil has warmed to 25°C.
- Inoculate seeds with rhizobium bacteria before planting to boost nitrogen fixation.
- Plant in full sun in loose, sandy, well-draining soil — heavy or compacted soil prevents peg penetration and pod development.
- Water regularly during germination and flowering
- reduce as pods develop underground
- stop watering 1-2 weeks before harvest.
- Do not hill soil around plants (unlike potatoes).
- Peanut plants are self-pollinating and do not require bees.
- After flowers fade, the pegs grow downward — keep soil loose and weed-free around plants to aid peg penetration.
- Mulch lightly with sand or loose straw.
- Harvest 90-130 days after planting when leaves yellow and start to dry — dig carefully with a garden fork (do NOT pull, pods will break off).
- Cure harvested plants (with peanuts attached) upside down in a warm, dry, well-ventilated place for 1-2 weeks until stems are completely dry.
- Then remove peanuts from plants and sun-dry for 2-3 more days.
- Store in-shell in mesh bags in cool, dry conditions for up to a year.
- Shelled peanuts should be refrigerated or frozen (high oil content causes rancidity).
- Important: discard any peanuts that look moldy, discolored, or shriveled — aflatoxin contamination is a serious health risk.
