When does panicled tick-clover bloom?

Panicled tick-clover typically flowers from July through September, producing small pink-purple blooms on branching stems.

What pollinators visit panicled tick-clover?

Bees, butterflies, and beetles are commonly seen visiting the flowers of panicled tick-clover during its summer bloom period.

How much water does panicled tick-clover need?

This forb prefers medium soil moisture but can tolerate drier conditions once established, making it adaptable to a range of garden and meadow settings.

What growing conditions suit panicled tick-clover best?

Panicled tick-clover grows best in full sun to part sun with well-drained soil, and it is often found in open woodlands, fields, and along roadsides.

Is Panicled Tick-clover toxic to livestock?

The USDA PLANTS Database does not flag Panicled Tick-clover as toxic to livestock.

Is Panicled Tick-clover HOA-friendly?

Panicled Tick-clover takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Panicled Tick-clover

Name: Pollinator Patch
Author: Pollinator Patch

Desmodium paniculatum

Last reviewed: August 2026

Desmodium paniculatum, or panicled tick-clover, is a deciduous forb that blooms from July through September with small pink-purple flowers. It grows well in full sun with medium moisture, often along woodland edges, fields, and roadsides.

Toxicity unknown

Panicled Tick-clover (Desmodium paniculatum) is not listed by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) or the other sources we check, so we have no verdict for it either way. Absence from those lists is not a clearance. If your pet shows symptoms after eating any plant, call the ASPCA at (888) 426-4435.

The USDA PLANTS Database (opens in new tab) does not flag Panicled Tick-clover as toxic to livestock.

Light

full sun

Water

medium

Size

24"–48" H × 12"–24" W

Bloom

Jul, Aug, Sep

Native to

AL, AR, DE, FL and 21 more states

Pollinators

bees, butterflies, beetles

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Browse plants for this ecoregion

Southwestern Tablelands Central Great Plains Great Plains Cross Timbers Edwards Plateau Texas Blackland Prairies East Central Texas Plains Western Gulf Coastal Plain South Central Plains Eastern Temperate Forests Ozark Highlands Central Irregular Plains Piedmont Western Corn Belt Plains Southeastern Wisconsin Till Plains Central Corn Belt Plains Eastern Corn Belt Plains Southern Michigan/Northern Indiana Drift Plains Huron/Erie Lake Plains Northeastern Highlands Northeastern Coastal Zone Northern Allegheny Plateau Erie Drift Plain Northern Forests Middle Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Piedmont Southeastern Plains Blue Ridge Ridge and Valley Central Appalachians Western Allegheny Plateau Interior Plateau Interior River Valleys and Hills Mississippi Alluvial Plain Mississippi Valley Loess Plains Southern Coastal Plain Eastern Great Lakes Lowlands Atlantic Coastal Pine Barrens

Panicled tick-clover is a native prairie perennial that produces delicate purple flowers on branching stems from summer into fall. This upright wildflower forms clumps and can spread gradually to create naturalized colonies in sunny areas.

Growing Panicled Tick-clover

Grow Panicled Tick-clover in full sun and medium water. Mature plants reach 24 to 48 inches tall and spread 12 to 24 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.

In an HOA neighborhood

Panicled Tick-clover takes more care to keep looking intentional in a front yard. Maintenance level: low. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

Works well in: backyard only.

Looks weedy and unkempt when dormant
Informal wildflower appearance may be considered messy
Seeds can stick to clothing and pets

Wildlife value

Host plant for silver-spotted skipper, long-tailed skipper.

The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and beetles throughout the long blooming season. Seeds provide food for birds, and the foliage serves as a host plant for several butterfly species.

Common questions

When does panicled tick-clover bloom?: Panicled tick-clover typically flowers from July through September, producing small pink-purple blooms on branching stems.
What pollinators visit panicled tick-clover?: Bees, butterflies, and beetles are commonly seen visiting the flowers of panicled tick-clover during its summer bloom period.
How much water does panicled tick-clover need?: This forb prefers medium soil moisture but can tolerate drier conditions once established, making it adaptable to a range of garden and meadow settings.
What growing conditions suit panicled tick-clover best?: Panicled tick-clover grows best in full sun to part sun with well-drained soil, and it is often found in open woodlands, fields, and along roadsides.
Is Panicled Tick-clover toxic to livestock?: The USDA PLANTS Database does not flag Panicled Tick-clover as toxic to livestock.
Is Panicled Tick-clover HOA-friendly?: Panicled Tick-clover takes more care to look intentional in a front yard. Consider it for backyard or mid-zone beds rather than the street edge.

These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.

Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.

If something looks wrong

Common plant problems, and what to check first

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