Pointed-leaved Ticktrefoil
Desmodium glutinosum

Family: Leguminosae

What it is like

Desmodium glutinosum is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.9 m (3ft) by 0.9 m (3ft in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 0.9

Where it is found

Richer soils of woods and savannas where there is partial shade and mesic to dry moisture conditions.

Native to eastern North America.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 3

Nitrogen Fixer: A member of the Legume Family, it improves the soil by adding nitrogen. Attracts: Butterflies. Larval Host: Eastern Tailed Blue, Silver-spotted Skipper. Invertebrates shelter: beneficial for insects and other arthropods.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

Nitrogen Fixer: Plants that fix nitrogen in the soil

How it is grown

A perennial wildflower found in part shade, shade; woods, and thickets. Prefers partial sun to medium shade, moist to dry-mesic conditions, and loamy soil with decaying organic matter. Clay-loam and rocky soil are also tolerated. Bloom Time: June to August. Bloom Color: Pink. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a clumper with limited spread.

Propagating it: Seed.

Best place to grow:

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 3-9

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Pointed-leaf Tick-trefoil, Large-flower tickclover

Synonyms

D. acuminatum (Michx.) DC. D. erythrynaefolium (Poir.) DC. D. glutinosum (Willd.) Schindl. D. glutinosum f. glutinosum. Hedysarum acuminatum Michx. Hedysarum erythrinaefolium Poir. Hedysarum erythrinaefolium Jussieu ex Poiret. Hedysarum glutinosum Willd. Meibomia acuminata (Michx.) S.F.Blake. Meibomia erythrinifolia (Poir.) Kuntze.