zarzabacoa comun
Desmodium incanum · Fabaceae
zarzabacoa comun (Desmodium incanum) 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 7 and warmer, down to about 6°F.
At a glance
| Type | forb-herb Derived |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | introduced USDA |
| Mature height | 4 ft USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Water need | medium USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 5–7 USDA |
| Flower color | Purple USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 7 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | nutrient Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available 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 needs full sun. USDA rates it as having moderate water needs. 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 7 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 7.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 4 ft, making it roughly waist to chest height. It grows at a moderate rate.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, medium in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its active growth period is spring. Its winter foliage is dense, which makes it useful for year-round screening. 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 39 to 118 inches of annual precipitation. It needs at least 269 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
It takes readily from seed, cuttings, sod and sprigs. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a rapid rate. It spreads vegetatively at a rapid rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it highly palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its fire tolerance is rated low, and it can resprout after damage. Its growth form is recorded as stoloniferous.
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
- panicledleaf ticktrefoil Desmodium paniculatum
- perplexed ticktrefoil Desmodium perplexum
Similar role and hardiness
- bird's-foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus
- subterranean clover Trifolium subterraneum
- arrowleaf clover Trifolium vesiculosum
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol DEIN3, 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, 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, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer, Type.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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