Showy Tick Trefoil (Desmodium canadense)

Showy tick trefoil (Desmodium canadense)

Showy tick trefoil is a tall, bushy perennial wildflower native to much of eastern and central North America, including Wisconsin. It usually grows between three and six feet tall and forms upright clumps in prairies, open woods, savannas, meadows, and disturbed areas such as roadsides and field edges. Its flowers are pink to rose-purple, pea‑shaped, and arranged in elongated, branching racemes near the tops of the stems. Blooming from mid to late summer, each flower is about a quarter inch long, typical of the pea family.

The leaves are trifoliate, with three leaflets that are two to three inches long, narrowly oblong to lance‑shaped, and rounded or blunt at the tips. The undersides of the leaflets and stems bear minute hooked hairs, a feature that also covers the plant’s jointed seed pods. These pods cling readily to fur and clothing, an effective seed‑dispersal mechanism shared by many tick trefoils.

Showy tick trefoil grows well in full sun to light shade and tolerates dry to moderately moist soils. Its deep taproot provides drought resistance, and as a nitrogen‑fixing legume it enriches the soil and supports prairie restoration efforts. Ecologically, it is valuable to wildlife. Its flowers attract native bees, bumble bees, and butterflies, and it serves as a host plant for several butterfly and moth species, including the Eastern Tailed Blue, Gray Hairstreak, and Silver‑spotted Skipper. Its seeds also provide food for upland birds and small mammals.

Sources:

Illinois Wildflowers — Desmodium canadense (Showy Tick Trefoil) Minnesota Wildflowers — Desmodium canadense Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center — Desmodium canadense USDA NRCS Plants Database — Desmodium canadense Wisconsin State Herbarium — Desmodium canadense

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