Grow tick trefoil in full sun, in soil that drains. The shop plant is Desmodium canadense, sold as showy tick trefoil. It is not tickseed.
Give it full sun and soil that drains
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun; some afternoon shade is fine | Do not plant it in deep shade |
| Soil | Moist but well drained — clay, loam, or sand | Do not plant it in a bog |
| Water | Water to settle a new plant, then only in a long dry spell | Do not keep the roots soggy |
| Habit | Hardy perennial, about 3 to 5 ft, from a woody taproot | Do not treat it as tickseed or lawn clover |
showy tick trefoil wants open sun and soil that drains after rain. A wet low spot rots the taproot, because this native perennial lives in prairies and open woods, not in standing water. [1] Pink to rose-purple pea flowers open in crowded clusters in mid-summer, on stems that can reach about three to five feet. [2]
How much sun does tick trefoil need?
Give it full sun. Some afternoon shade is fine. Deep shade cuts the bloom.
How wet should the soil stay?
Water to settle a new plant, then only in a long dry spell. Soggy soil around the taproot is the usual cause of rot.
Do deer eat showy tick trefoil?
Do not count on it as a deer-proof plant. Young plants can be browsed.
Scarify the seed and sow a quarter inch deep
Seed is the usual start. Nick or scrape the hard coat, or soak the seed until it swells, then sow it about a quarter inch deep in soil that drains. [3] Fall sowing on open ground lets weather work the coat, so you can skip the nick. In spring, scarify first, then sow after frost.
- Wait until after the last frost, or sow on open ground in fall.
- For a spring sowing, nick or scrape the hard seed coat, or soak the seed until it swells.
- Sow it about a quarter inch deep in soil that drains.
- Water to settle the soil, then let it dry except in a long dry spell.
- Skip extra nitrogen the first season, so weeds do not outgrow the seedlings.
How do I plant tick trefoil?
Nick or soak the seed, then sow it about a quarter inch deep after frost. Fall sowing on open ground can skip the nick.
Set a young plug without breaking the taproot
A nursery plug is a young plant with a fleshy taproot. Move it after frost, and keep the soil around the root intact so the taproot does not snap. [4]
- Wait until frost has passed.
- Slide the plug out so the soil stays on the taproot.
- Set it at the old soil line in a hole as deep as the plug.
- Firm the soil and water to settle it.
Cut the stems before the pods stick, or leave them for seed
After bloom, the plant makes jointed seed pods called loments — flattened chains of one-seeded segments with hooked hairs. Those pods stick to clothes and fur, so a small garden can fill with seedlings. This is a hardy perennial. It returns from the woody taproot. Do not lift the root and store it dry.
- If you do not want hitchhikers, cut the stems before the pods dry and stick.
- If you want plants next year, leave the pods until they brown, then let them drop nearby.
- Cut dead stems to the ground in late winter or early spring, before new growth.
Is showy tick trefoil a perennial?
Yes. It is a hardy garden perennial. It returns from the woody taproot.
Will it take over a small garden?
It can fill a small garden because the pods stick to clothes and drop seed. Cut the stems before the pods dry if you do not want that spread.
Not tickseed — and not beggarticks or bush clover
Tickseed is Coreopsis, a yellow daisy, not a pea flower. See How to Grow Coreopsis if that is the plant on the tag.
Beggarticks is Bidens, another daisy with barbed seeds. Shops may also call this plant beggars lice, but Bidens is a different plant. See How to Grow Bidens if the tag shows yellow daisy heads.
Bush clover is Lespedeza. It has three leaflets too, but the pod is one seeded and does not break into a sticky chain. See How to Grow Bush Clover. False indigo is Baptisia, a pea-flower perennial without those hitchhiking pods — see How to Grow False Indigo.
Is this the same as tickseed?
No. Tickseed is Coreopsis, a yellow daisy. This plant has pink pea flowers and sticky jointed pods.
Is this the same as beggarticks?
No. Beggarticks is Bidens, a daisy with barbed seeds. This plant is a pea-family perennial.
Set it in full sun, in soil that drains. Sow seed a quarter inch deep after frost, and do not buy tickseed, beggarticks, or bush clover as this plant.
FAQ
Can I grow it in a pot?
A deep pot that drains, outdoors in full sun, can hold a young plant for a season. It is not a houseplant. A shallow windowsill pot will cramp the taproot.
Can I start it from a cutting?
Seed is the usual start. A woody taproot does not split like a fibrous clump. Do not count on stem cuttings.
Is there more than one tick trefoil?
The shop plant is showy tick trefoil. Other wild tick trefoils exist, but they want the same sun and drain.
What else can I plant with it?
It sits with other prairie plants in the same sun and drain. There is no special pairing list.
Can I eat the pods?
Do not treat this plant as a food crop. Grow it for the flowers and the meadow, not for the table.
Recommended plants
References
- [1] University of Illinois Extension -
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/hortanswers/plantdetail.cfm?PlantID=904&PlantTypeID=14 - [2] Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center -
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=DECA7 - [3] NRCS Plant Materials -
https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_deca7.pdf - [4] Tallgrass Prairie Center -
https://tallgrassprairiecenter.org/native-seed-production-manual/species-production-guides/legumes/showy-ticktrefoil
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors