SafePlants

Showy Tick Trefoil (Desmodium canadense)

Also known as Canada Tick Trefoil, Showy Tick Trefoil, and belonging to the genus Desmodium, this plant is a common wildflower with attractive pink flowers. Other common names for plants in the *Desmodium* genus include tick-trefoil, tick clover, hitch hikers, and beggar lice.

Considerations for Pets

• The seedpods of plants in the *Desmodium* genus are known to stick to clothing and fur.

Considerations for Children

• The seedpods of plants in the *Desmodium* genus are known to stick to clothing and fur.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Desmodium canadense (L.) DC.
• Family: Fabaceae (Bean family)
• Genus: Desmodium
• Species: canadense
• Plant Symbol: DECA7
• Synonyms: The text references other Desmodium species such as Desmodium glabellum, Desmodium glutinosum, Desmodium ochroleucum, Desmodium cuspidatum, Desmodium perplexum, Desmodium nudiflorum, and Desmodium paniculatum.
• The name *Desmodium* comes from the Greek word for "long branch or chain," and *canadense* means "of Canada".

Distribution and Habitat

• Showy Tick Trefoil is native to North America.
• It is commonly found in upland prairies, roadsides, and old fields.
• Specifically mentioned is its presence in Missouri, Illinois, and Minnesota, as well as its origin in Canada.
• It favors moist or mesic portions of the Tallgrass Prairie.

Ecological Role

• Showy Tick Trefoil is a legume that helps put nitrogen into the soil.
• It supports a wide range of wildlife.
• It can be considered a weed in pastures, roadsides, and non-croplands.

Morphological Characteristics

• Showy Tick Trefoil is a slender-stemmed, often bushy perennial, typically growing 2-6 feet high, but usually shorter.
• It has hundreds of rose-colored, pea-like flowers that occur in dense, nodding clusters.
• The flowers bloom along the plant's upper stems for about three weeks.
• The stems are leafy and branch at the inflorescence.
• The stout central stem is round and covered with fine hooked hairs.
• The seeds are in jointed pods covered with tiny hairs.
• It has a deep taproot, making it drought-tolerant.
• Leaves are trifoliolate.

Quirky Facts

• The plant's common names, such as "tick trefoil" and "beggar's lice," refer to the way the seedpods stick to clothing.
• While typically pink, flowers can also be white, yellowish, or even fade to purple.

Further Information

• USDA NRCS Plant Materials Center
• USDA Plants Database
• Prairie Nursery
• Ion Exchange, Chicago, Illinois
• Collins English Dictionary
• all-creatures.org