Perplexing Tick Trefoil
Desmodium perplexum

Height: 3-4 ft
Spread: 2 ft
Bloom Time: July-September
Sunlight: Full Sun to Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Wet, Moist, Medium, Dry, Very Dry
​Life Cycle: Perennial

A member of the pea family, Perplexing Tick Trefoil has prolific pink flowers that are around ¼ inch wide. The flowers bloom in airy groups in July to September and are mainly visited by native bees. The leaves of Perplexing Tick Trefoil grow in groups of threes, and the roots of this species fix nitrogen into the soil for other natives growing around it. Perplexing Tick Trefoil is a host plant for caterpillars of Cloudywing butterflies. It grows in wet and dry soil and thrives in both open meadows and wooded areas with scattered light.
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