Dillenius' ticktrefoil
Desmodium glabellum
Last reviewed: August 2026
Light
full sun
Water
medium
Size
24"–48" H × 18"–24" W
Bloom
Jul, Aug, Sep
Native to
AL, AR, DE, FL and 16 more states
Pollinators
bees
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 431 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaAn upright legume with three-part leaves and loose sprays of small pink to purple pea flowers in late summer, followed by segmented, flattened seed pods that stick readily to clothing and fur. It grows along dry woodland edges.
Wildlife value
Host plant for silver-spotted skipper, hoary edge.
Tick-trefoils are a key larval host genus for the silver-spotted skipper and hoary edge butterflies, and the flowers feed native bees.
Common questions
- How much sun does Dillenius' ticktrefoil need?
- Dillenius' ticktrefoil grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does Dillenius' ticktrefoil bloom?
- Dillenius' ticktrefoil blooms in July, August, and September.
- Where is Dillenius' ticktrefoil native?
- Dillenius' ticktrefoil (Desmodium glabellum) is native to AL, AR, DE, FL and 16 more states, per the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew).
- What butterflies or moths does Dillenius' ticktrefoil host?
- Dillenius' ticktrefoil is a larval host plant for silver-spotted skipper and hoary edge.
Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
Ready to grow Dillenius' ticktrefoil? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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