While they are not widely grown in Iowa, their unique growth habit makes them a fun addition to the home garden. Peanuts are also known as goobers, goober peas, groundpeas, ground nuts, and earth nuts. The peanut is a legume with compound leaves similar to clover and yellow, pea-like flowers. Virginia types are large podded and usually contain 1 or 2 large kernels per pod. Spanish types are smaller podded and contain 2 or 3 small kernels per pod.
Peanuts grow best in loose, well-drained soils.
Avoid poorly drained, clay type soils. Plant peanuts after the danger of frost is past. Row spacing for bunch types should be 24 inches and 36 inches for runner types. Peanuts are warm-season annuals that require a minimum of 120 frost free days to reach maturity. The flowering and fruiting of peanuts are unique.