Perplexing Tick Trefoil

Desmodium perplexum

small pink flowers of the perplexing tick trefoil
“Tick-trefoil Desmodium” by Dinesh Valke, via Flickr. (cropped from original) CC BY-SA 2.0.

Ecological Benefits: foliage is forage for several mammal species, seeds feed various birds

Bloom period: summer-fall

Best Areas for Planting: all moisture and light levels; soils that are loam, clay-loam, or rocky

Natural Habitat: can be found in various forest types, clearings, old fields, and roadsides

Most of the species information is from The Virginia Native Plant Society website, which offers free, extensive pdfs for each region of Virginia, highlighting about 100 native species (there are many more!) and helpful additional information for planning personal projects. If you aren’t from Virginia, you can search for similar resources in your state! To explore other resources and advice, navigate to the guidance page.

Visit the homepage to explore other sites and learn more about native plants.