Showy Tick Trefoil
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.
| 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 | Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Midwest, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Northeast, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Southeast, Southwest, Texas, United States, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin |
| Tolerance | Drought, Clay Soil |
| Attracts | Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds |
| Garden Styles | Prairie and Meadow |
| 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 | Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Midwest, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Northeast, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Southeast, Southwest, Texas, United States, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin |
| Tolerance | Drought, Clay Soil |
| Attracts | Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds |
| Garden Styles | Prairie and Meadow |
How many Desmodium canadense (Showy Tick Trefoil) do I need for my garden?
| Plant | Quantity | |
|---|---|---|
| Desmodium canadense (Showy Tick Trefoil) | N/A | Buy Plants |
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Create a membership account to save your garden designs and to view them on any device.
Becoming a contributing member of Gardenia is easy and can be done in just a few minutes. If you provide us with your name, email address and the payment of a modest $25 annual membership fee, you will become a full member, enabling you to design and save up to 25 of your garden design ideas.
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