pointed-leaved tick-trefoil

Hylodesmum glutinosum

The pointed-leaved tick-trefoil is a lovely plant with long, pointed leaves. It grows in fields and meadows, adding beauty to the landscape with its delicate flowers.

Habitat: Fields and meadows

Appearance

The pointed-leaved tick-trefoil has distinctive three-part leaves, each leaflet tapering to a point. Its small, reddish-purple to pink flowers bloom on upright stalks. After flowering, it produces flat, sticky seed pods that easily attach to passersby.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderFabalesFamilyFabaceaeGenusHylodesmum

pointed-leaved tick-trefoil

Interesting facts

Did you know its leaves can fold up like it's sleeping every night? Wow!

Even though it's called "tick-trefoil," it's not a tick and it doesn't cause ticks!

Its scientific name, glutinosum, means "sticky," just like its amazing seed pods!

This plant is a cousin to peas and beans, but its fruits are flat and super sticky!

Special abilities

The pointed-leaved tick-trefoil has fuzzy, sticky seed pods that latch onto fur or clothes, helping it travel to new places and spread its seeds.

This plant can team up with tiny root bacteria to pull nitrogen from the air, making the soil healthier for other plants to grow.

The pointed-leaved tick-trefoil's leaves fold together at night, a cool trick that might help it save energy or avoid pests.

Measurements & details

Height: 30-100 cm
Spread: 30-60 cm
Flower Size: 0.5-1 cm
Bloom Season: Summer
Edible: No
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

Honey bee

Apis mellifera

collects nectar from its small flowers

eaten by

White-tailed deer

Odocoileus virginianus

browses the plant's foliage and stems

eats

Bean leaf beetle

Ceratoma trifurcata

feeds on the plant's leaves as a host

symbiotic with

Rhizobia bacteria

Rhizobium leguminosarum

fixes nitrogen in its root nodules

Traits

Deciduous

Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Nitrogen Fixing

Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants.

Ornamental

Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.