Horse Marmalade
Desmodium subsecundum
- Native to:
- Argentina, Brazil
João Medeiros (www.flickr.com),João Medeiros (www.flickr.com),João Medeiros (www.flickr.com),João Medeiros (www.flickr.com),Instituto Nacional da Mata Atlântica - INMA (en.wikipedia.org),Instituto Nacional da Mata Atlântica - INMA (en.wikipedia.org),Instituto Nacional da Mata Atlântica - INMA (en.wikipedia.org),Neosho Nurseries,Mount Arbor Nurseries,Cole Nursery Company,Chickering, John White, 1831-1913 Coues, Elliott, 1842-1899 Dawson, George Mercer, 1849-1901,Plymouth, Mass. : Old Colony Nurseries
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Desmodium
- Species:
- Desmodium subsecundum
- USDA Symbol:
- DEDI9
Growth Characteristics
- Height:
- 100 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- 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; often increases in abundance after prescribed burns in open woodlands and prairies.
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:
- Common in tropical forest understories
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. Seeds may also benefit from inoculation with Bradyrhizobium.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI