(Proboscidea parviflora var. hohokamiana); Minimum 12 seeds
Traditionally grown in the desert Southwest for pods that are used in basketry, we grow Devil's Claw because its seeds are oil and protein rich and its immature fruits are edible, steamed when small (~ 2 inches), before they get woody. No maintenance plants thrive in a dry spot with soil that is high in clay. Quirky cute blossoms yielded slightly fuzzy pods that when dried, shed their pod layer to reveal the claw.
Plants require warm soils (think squash warm) and seeds germinate best when gently peeled from their protective coats.
The USDA has an informative Devil's Claw Plant Guide.
Interestingly in 1806 Bernard M'Mahon's "The American gardener's calendar : adapted to the climates and seasons of the United States..." it was advised Martynia (Devil's Claw) not be planted in open ground before May. A listing for Devil's Claw is included in the 1876 Detroit Seed Co.'s Vegetable & Flower Guide, yes you read that right eighteen seventy six!
