perplexed ticktrefoil
Desmodium perplexum · Fabaceae
perplexed ticktrefoil (Desmodium perplexum) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Fabaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 3 and warmer, down to about -33°F.
At a glance
| Type | forb-herb USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 4 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 5.6–7 USDA |
| Bloom | June–August USDA |
| Flower color | White USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 3 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | nutrient Derived |
| Nursery availability | No Known Source USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It grows in partial shade. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. Its drought tolerance is rated low. It handles periodically wet ground (USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance medium). It is recorded on soils from pH 5.6 to 7 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 3.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 4 ft, making it roughly waist to chest height. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of June through August. Flowers are white.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, fine in texture. Its flowers are not conspicuous — a plant for form and foliage. Its active growth period is summer. USDA rates its lifespan as short, so plan on replacing or resowing it rather than treating it as permanent structure.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 20 to 60 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 90 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 12 inches. Fertility requirement: low — no feeding needed on ordinary garden soil.
Propagating it
Seed is the only propagation method USDA lists. Division and cuttings are not listed as options. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a moderate rate. It spreads vegetatively at a rapid rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it moderately palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its fire tolerance is rated high. Its growth form is recorded as colonizing.
Role in a guild
Nutrient layer. In a layered planting this is it contributes to soil fertility rather than to structure. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Desmodium
- variable-leaf ticktrefoil Desmodium heterophyllum
- greenleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium intortum
- zarzabacoa comun Desmodium incanum
- panicledleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium paniculatum
Similar role and hardiness
- Nootka lupine Lupinus nootkatensis
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol DEPE80, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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