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Desmodium canadense (Showy Tick Trefoil)

Showy Tick Trefoil

Desmodium canadense, Showy Tick Trefoil, Purple flowers, Purple perennials, Butterfly Pant, Pollinator Plant

A nitrogen fixer, Desmodium canadense (Showy Tick Trefoil) is an erect, bushy perennial boasting elongated clusters packed with numerous pink or rose-purple pea-like flowers. Blooming for about 3 weeks in early summer to early fall, the blossoms are visited my numerous bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. The flowers are borne atop slender stems clad with three-parted, compound leaves. Their undersides have fine hooked hairs that cling to clothing or the fur of passing animals. The flowers are followed by flat seedpods that are also covered with fine hooked hairs, and are distributed by passing animals. Gamebirds and small rodents eat the seeds. This plant is also highly edible to various mammalian herbivores, including deer, rabbits, groundhogs, and livestock. Highly adaptable, Showy Tick Trefoil will spread quickly in optimum growing conditions, requiring a great deal of space for its full development.

  • Grows up to 3-5 ft. tall (90-150 cm) and 2-3 ft. wide (60-90 cm).
  • Performs best in full sun to part shade in average, dry to moist, well-drained soils. Tolerates clay soils and drought
  • No serious pest or disease issues.
  • Propagate by seed. Sow untreated, scarified or cold-moist stratified seed in the spring.
  • Native to North America.

Requirements

Hardiness 3 - 7
Plant Type Perennials
Plant Family Leguminosae
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Height 3' - 5'
(90cm - 150cm)
Spread 2' - 3'
(60cm - 90cm)
Spacing 24" - 36"
(60cm - 90cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Low, Average
Soil Type Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Showy
Native Plants United States, Northeast, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Midwest, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Southeast, Virginia, West Virginia, Southwest, Texas, Oklahoma
Tolerance Drought, Clay Soil
Attracts Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Garden Styles Prairie and Meadow
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
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Requirements

Hardiness 3 - 7
Plant Type Perennials
Plant Family Leguminosae
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Height 3' - 5'
(90cm - 150cm)
Spread 2' - 3'
(60cm - 90cm)
Spacing 24" - 36"
(60cm - 90cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Low, Average
Soil Type Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Cut Flowers, Showy
Native Plants United States, Northeast, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Midwest, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Southeast, Virginia, West Virginia, Southwest, Texas, Oklahoma
Tolerance Drought, Clay Soil
Attracts Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
Garden Styles Prairie and Meadow
How Many Plants
Do I Need?

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