Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia
Desmodium canadense (L.) DC.
Showy tick trefoil
Fabaceae (Pea Family)
Erect, bushy, hairy plant with crowded, elongated terminal clusters of pink or rose-purple pea-like flowers. Showy tick-trefoil is a slender-stemmed, often bushy
perennial, 2-6 ft. high. Hundreds of rose-colored, pea-like flowers occur in dense, nodding clusters at the tops of the stems. Velvety hair covers the stems and three-parted,
compound leaves. Seedpods cling to animal fur or clothing.
The most showy of the Tick Trefoils is one of some two dozen species distinguished by their leaf and
fruit shape. The distinctively jointed fruits, known as loments, break into 1-seeded segments, that stick to clothes and animal fur, thus facilitating seed dispersal.
Image Gallery:
5 photo(s) available
Plant Characteristics
Duration: Perennial Habit: Herb Flower:
Fruit: Brown
Size Class: 3-6 ft.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: Pink , Purple
Bloom Time: Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep
Distribution
USA: CT , DE , IL , IN , IA , KS , ME , MD , MA , MI , MN , MO , NE , NH , NJ , NY , ND , OH , OK , PA , RI , SD , TX , VT , VA , WV , WI
Canada: MB ,
NB ,
NS ,
ON ,
QC Native Distribution: N.S. to s. Sask., s. to MD, WV, TN, LA & OK
Native Habitat: Open woods; rocky or sandy prairies; stream banks; roadsides; waste places
USDA Native Status: L48(N), CAN(N) Growing Conditions
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Moist , Dry
Soil Description: Moist soils. Indifferent to soil acidity.
Conditions Comments: Highly adaptable, this plant can take over a small garden.
Benefit
Use Wildlife: Hummingbirds.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Hummingbirds , Butterflies
Larval Host: Eastern Tailed Blue, Silver-spotted Skipper, Hoary Edge.
Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)
Desmodium canadense is a larval host and/or nectar source for:
Last Update: 2012-12-07
