Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Desmodium

Species:

Desmodium laevigatum

USDA Symbol:

DELA2

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

120 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun,Part Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

jul,aug,sep

Bloom Colors:

pink, purple

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, butterflies, birds, deer

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from rootstock following fire. Common in fire-maintained woodlands and savannas.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers organic matter-rich environments

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

14–30 days

Notes:

Scarification of hard seed coat recommended before cold stratification. Seeds may also benefit from inoculation with rhizobium.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI