# Creeping Beggarweed (*desmodium incanum*)

Creeping Beggarweed is a beautiful green plant that loves to grow close to the ground! Its unique leaves can be found in gardens and fields, making it a fun plant to discover while exploring nature.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 1
- **Habitat:** Creeping Beggarweed typically grows in gardens, fields, and along roadsides in tropical and subtropical regions.
- **Also known as:** Beggar's Ticks, Tick Trefoil

![Creeping Beggarweed](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Starr_050419-0333_Desmodium_incanum.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Starr_050419-0333_Desmodium_incanum.jpg)

## Appearance

The Creeping Beggarweed is a low-growing plant with reddish, somewhat fuzzy stems and trifoliate leaves. Its small, pea-like flowers range from pink to purplish, and its unique segmented seed pods are covered in tiny hooks.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Fabales
- **Family:** Fabaceae
- **Genus:** Desmodium

## Interesting facts

- Believe it or not, young Creeping Beggarweed leaves can be safely eaten by people!
- Its seeds are like nature's tiny Velcro, designed to hitch rides on passing animals!
- Some people call this plant "tick-trefoil" because its sticky pods attach so easily!
- This plant is a super-producer, fixing vital nitrogen right into the soil!

## Special abilities

- **Velcro Seeds:** Creeping Beggarweed can produce flat, segmented seed pods with tiny hooks that cling to fur and clothes, helping its seeds travel far!
- **Soil Helper:** Creeping Beggarweed has special roots that partner with tiny bacteria to pull nitrogen from the air and enrich the soil!
- **Folding Leaves:** Creeping Beggarweed can fold its leaves together at night or in very hot sun, helping it conserve water and protect itself!
- **Ground Hugger:** Creeping Beggarweed can grow low and spread out across the ground, forming a dense mat that shades out other competing plants!

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 15-60 cm
- **Spread:** 30-150 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Summer-fall
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** domestic cattle (*Bos taurus*) — Common forage for livestock in pastures
- **Pollinates:** honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Attracts bees with its small, nectar-rich flowers
- **Symbiotic with:** rhizobia bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — Forms root nodules to fix atmospheric nitrogen

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Creeping Beggarweed?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Creeping Beggarweed?

15-60 cm

### How wide does Creeping Beggarweed spread?

30-150 cm

### How big are the flowers on Creeping Beggarweed?

0.5-1 cm

### When does Creeping Beggarweed bloom?

Summer-fall

### Is Creeping Beggarweed edible?

Yes

### Is Creeping Beggarweed toxic?

None

### What is Creeping Beggarweed's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Kahanu Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kahanu-garden) — Hawaii, US · Botanical Garden
- [Orlando Loch Haven Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/orlando-loch-haven-park) — Florida, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Creeping Beggarweed: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/creeping-beggarweed)