threeflower ticktrefoil
Desmodium triflorum · Fabaceae
threeflower ticktrefoil (Desmodium triflorum) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Fabaceae family. It is introduced to North America rather than native. USDA records it as hardy in zone 8 and warmer, down to about 16°F.
At a glance
| Type | forb-herb USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 1 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Soil pH | 5–6 USDA |
| Flower color | Purple USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 8 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | ground-cover Derived |
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. Its drought tolerance is rated high. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 6 — acidic ground. Its cold limit is zone 8.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 1 ft, making it a low, mat-forming plant.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, medium 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 17 to 70 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 294 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 12 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
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.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals rate it barely palatable — the sourced basis for calling it deer-resistant. Its fire tolerance is rated none. Its growth form is recorded as multiple stem.
Role in a guild
Ground cover. In a layered planting this is the lowest layer — it shades soil, holds moisture, and suppresses weeds. 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
- rhizoma peanut Arachis hagenbeckii
- centipede grass Eremochloa ophiuroides
- paspalum Paspalum hieronymi
- seashore paspalum Paspalum vaginatum
- annual fescue Vulpia myuros
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol DETR4, 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, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, Edible, 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, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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