Desmodium laevigatum
(Smooth Ticktrefoil)

Other pictures of this plant:


               Seedpod                                           Leaf                                            Stem                                        Seed                                          Habit

               Seedling

Facts About this Plant:

    Common Names: Smooth Ticktrefoil, Smooth Tick Trefoil, Smooth Tick-Trefoil
    Synonyms: Meibomia laevigata
    Lifespan: Perennial
    Zones: 4 - 9
    Type: Forb
    Bloom Time: July - October
    Status: Native
    Range:

Desmodium laevigatum, or Smooth Ticktrefoil, is native to the much of the eastern US, including the Southeast and Appalachian regions, but also extending into the south-central US and the Ozarks, but is absent from the most northern New England states. It is a perennial that grows in dry, rocky partially shaded woods and along woodland edges. It blooms in late summer into fall with medium size dark pink flowers.

There are a number of Desmodium species in the United States, and most are very similar. Many are differentiated on the basis of their leaves and seed pods, and a few other factors, like the presence of hair or stipules. Desmodium laevigatum, however, is one of the easier to tell apart, as its leaves are completely smooth.

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