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Desmodium canadense - (L.) DC.

Common Name Showy tick-trefoil
Family Leguminosae
USDA hardiness 3-6
Known Hazards None Known
Habitats Moist to mesic black soil prairies, moist meadows along rivers, borders of lakes, thickets, limestone glades, and areas along railroads where prairie remnants occur.
Range Native to eastern North America.
Edibility Rating    (0 of 5)
Other Uses    (3 of 5)
Weed Potential Yes
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Desmodium canadense Showy tick-trefoil


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Desmodium canadense Showy tick-trefoil
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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of flower
Desmodium canadense is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.9 m (3ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in) at a fast rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4.
It can fix Nitrogen.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid and very alkaline soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Hedysarum canadense L. [Spelling variant]. Hedysarum canadensis L. Meibomia canadensis (L.) Kuntze.

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

None Known

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

The Bookshop: Edible Plant Books

Our Latest books on Perennial Plants For Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens in paperback or digital formats.

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.
Edible Tropical Plants

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

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Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.
Edible Temperate Plants

Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

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PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital media.
More Books

PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital formats. Browse the shop for more information.

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Other Uses

Nitrogen Fixer: A member of the Legume Family, it improves the soil by adding nitrogen. Dynamic Accumulator: Deep Taproot. Wildlife Food: The seeds are used by a variety of birds and other wildlife. Like many other members of the Bean family, this plant is highly edible to various mammalian herbivores, including deer, rabbits, groundhogs, and livestock. Some upland gamebirds and small rodents eat the seeds, including the Bobwhite, Wild Turkey, and White-Footed Mouse. Insectory. Cut flowers.

Special Uses

Dynamic accumulator  Food Forest  Nitrogen Fixer

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

An erect herbaceous perennial forb. Sun: Full Sun, Partial Shade. Soil Type: Loamy, Silty. Soil Moisture: Moderate, Dry. Soil pH: 5.0 - 8.0. Indifferent to soil acidity. Growth Rate: Moderate. Life Span: Long-Lived Perennial. Stand Persistence: Long. Form: Upright. Texture: Medium. Minimum Root Depth: 0.2m or 8 inches. Root Type: Rhizome. Seasonal Interest: Summer. Fruit Type: Pod. Flower Color: Pink. USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 - 8. Drought: Tolerant. Flood: Moderate. Salt: Moderate. Soil Compaction: Moderate. Mowing: Tolerant. Fire Damage: Tolerant. Cold Injury: Infrequent. Disease Issues: Minor. Insect/Pest Damage: Minor. Growing Season: Warm. Bloom Time: Summer - Late Summer [318-1]. 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 [1-2]. The root pattern is a tap root similar to a carrot going directly down [1-2].

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

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The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees,Edible Shrubs, Woodland Gardening, and Temperate Food Forest Plants. Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical).

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Plant Propagation

Seed. Stratify seed at 33-38 deg. F for 10 days, need scarification.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Showy Tick Trefoil, Canadian tick-trefoil, Canada tickclover.

Native Range

NORTHERN AMERICA: Canada, Québec, Nova Scotia, Ontario, New Brunswick, Manitoba (south), United States, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia (west),

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Highly adaptable, this plant can take over a small garden.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Desmodium caudatum Shrub1.5 -  LMHNM011
Desmodium cinereumRensoni. TickcloverPerennial2.0 9-11 FLMHNMWe004
Desmodium elegans Shrub1.5 5-9  LMHNM022
Desmodium glutinosumPointed-leaved TicktrefoilPerennial0.9 3-9 FLMSNM003
Desmodium intortumPega-pega. BeggarlicePerennial1.5 10-12 FLMHFSNMWe003
Desmodium paniculatumPanicled tick trefoilPerennial1.0 4-10 FLMHSNDM003
Desmodium styracifoliumGuang Jing Qian Cao, Coin-leaf desmodiumPerennial0.8 0-0  LMHNM02 
Desmodium triflorumThree-flower beggarweed, Three-flower tick-trefoilAnnual/Perennial0.2 10-12 FLMHFSNM022
Desmodium uncinatumSilverleaf desmodium. Spanish tick-cloverPerennial2.0 10-12 FLMHSNDMWe003

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Author

(L.) DC.

Botanical References

Links / References

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