They are drought resistant and, being legumes, fix their own nitrogen. They have been established along roadsides where they receive no care other than mowing. Mowing also stimulates flowering. They'll continue to bloom through about September. Top growth dies back after frost, but the plant will come back as long as rhizomes, which can grow several feet deep, don't freeze.
Ornamental peanut can also be an annual groundcover in colder climates.
Four or five cuttings are stuck directly into gallon containers. Plants finish in eight to 10 weeks, said co-owner Paul Klinger Jr. Even though the plant is nitrogen-fixing, Klinger doesn't alter the fertilizer for ornamental peanut. The plant's best use is in low-maintenance areas, Klinger said. He has sold a good number of plants to municipalities for use on berms and embankments.