Desmodium hirtum

Grona hirta

Native to:
Benin, Burkina, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan-South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe

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Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Fabaceae
Genus:
Grona
Species:
Grona hirta
USDA Symbol:
DEHI2

Growth Characteristics

Height:
100 cm
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
Medium
Bloom Months:
jul,aug,sep,oct
Bloom Colors:
pink, purple

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
bees, butterflies
Fire Ecology:
Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
Fire Notes:
Resprouts from rootstock following fire; found in fire-maintained pine savannas and open woodlands.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
sandy, well-drained, nutrient-poor soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
excellent drainage required
Moisture:
dry to moderate

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:
Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
Scarification:
Seed coat scarification required before sowing
Germination Time:
14–42 days
Notes:
Scarification of hard seed coat improves germination. May benefit from inoculation with appropriate Rhizobium.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI