Showy Tick Trefoil
Desmodium canadense
Last reviewed: September 2026
Showy tick trefoil is a tall summer-blooming forb suited to full sun and medium to dry soil, producing spikes of pink-purple flowers from July through September in prairies and open meadows.
Toxicity unknown
Showy Tick Trefoil (Desmodium canadense) 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.
Light
full sun
Water
medium
Size
24"–60" H × 18"–36" W
Bloom
Jul, Aug, Sep
Native to
IL, IN, KS, MD and 16 more states
Pollinators
butterflies, bees, nectar insects
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
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Showy Tick Trefoil is a tall native perennial that produces clusters of pink to purple pea-like flowers from July through September. This upright plant grows 2-5 feet tall with compound leaves and creates an attractive vertical element in the landscape. It naturally reseeds and can form colonies over time.
Growing Showy Tick Trefoil
Grow Showy Tick Trefoil in full sun and medium water. Mature plants reach 24 to 60 inches tall and spread 18 to 36 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.
In an HOA neighborhood
Showy Tick Trefoil is an HOA-friendly choice. Maintenance level: low. Tidiness: 2 out of 5.
Works well in: mid zone, backyard only.
- May flop without support
- Best in less formal zones
Wildlife value
The flowers attract butterflies, bees, and other nectar-seeking insects throughout the summer blooming period. Seeds provide food for birds and small mammals.
Common questions
- When does Desmodium canadense bloom?
- It flowers from July through September, with dense spikes of pink-purple blossoms typical of tallgrass prairie plantings.
- What pollinators does showy tick trefoil attract?
- Bees and butterflies are the main visitors, along with other nectar-seeking insects drawn to its summer flowers.
- What light and water conditions does this plant need?
- It grows best in full sun with medium moisture but adapts well to drier soils once its roots are established.
- Is Desmodium canadense a woody plant?
- No, it is an herbaceous forb that dies back to the ground each winter and sends up new growth from its roots in spring.
- Is Showy Tick Trefoil HOA-friendly?
- Showy Tick Trefoil is generally an HOA-friendly choice in the right placement, with low maintenance.
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
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Ready to grow Showy Tick Trefoil? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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