Desmodium nudiflorum

Desmodium nudiflorum is a lovely perennial plant native to the cool understory of North America which is rare in cultivation. This cousin of the alfalfa forms a graceful clump bearing beautiful leaves divided into 3 large leaflets, and adorned with pale pink-mauve pea-like flowers in summer that are pleasantly fragrant and visited by pollinating insects. It is a very hardy botanical species, interesting for shaded and cool areas of a natural garden.

Desmodium nudiflorum belongs to the fabaceae family. In the wild, it is found growing wild in the Mississippi River valley and in the eastern United States, south of Ontario, as well as in Canada. Its natural habitat consists of deciduous forests on loamy or sandy, rich soils. It is a deciduous plant, with above-ground vegetation disappearing in winter and reappearing in spring.

This Desmodium forms a low and upright clump composed of leafy stems reaching about 30 cm (12in) high and 30 cm (12in) in diameter. Flowering occurs in loose spikes from June to September, at the tip of non-leafy flower stalks measuring 60 to 70 cm (24 to 28in) adorned with nectar-rich, small, pale pink, pea-like flowers tinged with mauve, 6 to 10 mm (1in) long. The deciduous foliage consists of 1 to 3 clusters of leaves arranged at the end of each stem. Each leaf is carried by a long petiole and divided into 3 ovate and pointed, bright green leaflets, averaging 7 cm (3in) in length. The fruits are covered with short hook-shaped hairs that facilitate seed dispersal by clinging to the fur of passing animals, and human clothing. It is a nitrogen-fixing plant.

Desmodium nudiflorum is a graceful plant for cool shade, but it is not very competitive and should placed away from overly expansive neighbours to be seen. It will find a place in a natural garden, alongside other shade perennials such as Cimicifuga (Bugbane), Aruncus (Goat's beard), or ferns.