showy tick trefoil
Desmodium canadense
USDA zones3 to 7
SunHandles full sun to partial sun
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size3 to 5 feet tall2 to 3 feet wide
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Pink , purple
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Showy tick trefoil (Desmodium canadense) is a perennial for meadows and low maintenance gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 3, or down to -40°F (-40°C). This plant likes full or part sun and dry to moist, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Hundreds of rose-colored, pea-like flowers form dense, nodding clusters at the tops of the stems. Hummingbirds visit them. The seedpods cling to fur and clothing, and the plant can take over a small garden, so give it room.
Pairs well with Compass plant, Nodding onion, and False Solomon's seal.
Native range
CT, DE, IA, IL, and 27 more places. See all 31
CT, DE, IA, IL, IN, KS, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SD, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV; MB, NB, NS, ON, and QC.