Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Desmodium

Species:

Desmodium sericophyllum

USDA Symbol:

DESE2

Growth Characteristics

Height:

60 cm

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

jun,jul,aug,sep

Bloom Colors:

pink, purple

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, butterflies, birds

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from rootstock following fire. Found in fire-maintained pine flatwoods and sandhills.

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

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 improves germination. May benefit from inoculation with appropriate Rhizobium.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI