View source for Peanut

__NOTOC__{{Plantbox
| name = ''Arachis hypogaea''
| common_names = Peanut
| growth_habit = ?   <!--- tree, shrub, herbaceous, vine, etc -->
| high = ?   <!--- 1m (3 ft) -->
| wide =     <!--- 65cm (25 inches) -->
| origin = ?   <!--- Mexico, S America, S Europe, garden, etc -->
| poisonous =     <!--- indicate parts of plants which are known/thought to be poisonous -->
| lifespan =     <!--- perennial, annual, etc -->
| exposure = ?   <!--- full sun, part-sun, semi-shade, shade, indoors, bright filtered (you may list more than 1) -->
| water = ?   <!--- frequent, regular, moderate, drought tolerant, let dry then soak -->
| features =     <!--- flowers, fragrance, fruit, naturalizes, invasive -->
| hardiness =     <!--- frost sensitive, hardy, 5°C (40°F), etc -->
| bloom =     <!--- seasons which the plant blooms, if it is grown for its flowers -->
| usda_zones = ?   <!--- eg. 8-11 -->
| sunset_zones =     <!--- eg. 8, 9, 12-24, not available -->
| color = IndianRed
| image = Peanut 9417.jpg
| image_width = 240px    <!--- leave as 240px if horizontal orientation photo, or change to 180px if vertical -->
| image_caption = Peanut leaves and freshly dug pods
| regnum = Plantae
| divisio = Magnoliophyta
| classis = Magnoliopsida
| ordo = Fabales
| familia = Fabaceae
| tribus = Aeschynomeneae
| genus = Arachis
| species = hypogaea
}}
{{Inc|
[[Image:Koeh-163.jpg|thumb|225px|Peanut (''Arachis hypogea'')]]
Peanut (Arachis hypoyaea). Popularly the peanut, as the name 
indicates, is called a nut, but it more properly falls into the class 
of grain or forage crops. The fruit or "nut" is really a pod, 
comparable with a bean-pod or pea-pod. The plant is related to beans 
and peas. The seeds (comparable with bean seeds) furnish excellent 
food for man as well as for his beasts and fowls, and the cured tops 
make an excellent hay or forage.

Commercially, the peanut is not grown north of the latitude of 
Washington, D. C., but on the sandy and loamy soils to the south and 
west of the above-named city, on lands that have recently been limed, 
it may be used as a rotation or as a special money crop. North of 
this territory the plant can be used with profit as a forage for 
hogs, although only a portion of the pods set will come to maturity. 
As a garden plant, the peanut can be grown as far north as central 
New York, but only a few pods will actually mature seeds, except in 
long warm growing seasons.

There are two general types of peanuts: those known as bunch nuts, 
and as vine or trailing nuts. The bunch nuts are most desirable 
because the tops can be more easily harvested for forage, the rows 
may be closer together and the distance between the plants in the row 
may be less than with the vining types. The cultivation as well as 
the harvesting (digging) is easier. The bunch type of nuts, such as 
the Spanish and Valencia, may be planted in rows 30 to 36 inches 
apart, with the seeds scattered 6 to 10 inches apart along the row. 

The large-seeded thick-shelled nuts require to be shelled before 
planting in order to insure satisfactory germination, but the smaller 
thin-shelled sorts may be planted whole and a good stand secured. The 
planting season, as well as the field care of peanuts, is practically 
the same as for corn. They are tender to frost and grow best during 
warm weather. The vines will be killed by the first frosts, but when 
desired for forage should be harvested in advance of that date. As 
the pods or nuts are borne beneath the surface of the soil, the crop 
is harvested by lifting or plowing out the whole plant, separating it 
from the earth and curing the plant and pods together by stacking 
them in tall narrow stacks built up around a slender stake about 6 
feet high, at the bottom of which cleats 3 feet long have been nailed 
in such a way as to keep the plants off the ground. The stacks are so 
built as to cause the vines to protect the nuts. The roots with the 
nuts attached are placed next to the stake, with the tops out. This 
method permits the nuts to be cured slowly and without discoloration 
or staining that would result were the nuts exposed to the weather. 
The plant is a most interesting one, both horticulturally and 
botanically, and is at the same time an important economic crop as 
well as a garden novelty. {{SCH}}
}}

Peanuts are also known as '''earthnuts''', '''goobers''', '''goober peas''', '''pindas''', '''jack nuts''', '''pinders''', '''manila nuts''' and '''monkey balls'''. (The last of these is often used to mean the entire pod, not just the seeds. In the UK these are sold as '''monkey nuts'''.)