Showy Tick Trefoil
Desmodium canadense
From Nearctica
Identification: Plant erect. Flowers pink to lavender with lower petals elongate and projecting outward. Base of standard (upper ovate "petal") with two purple rimmed yellow spots at base. Flowers crowded and dense along the flower stem. Seedpods hairy with 3 to 5 jointed segments. Stem hairy. Leaves divided into 3 leaflets, each leaflet long and triangular. Leaves arranged alternately along the stem. Plant 2 to 6 feet in height.
Distribution: Saskatchewan in the west to Nova Scotia in the east, southward to Missouri and Maryland. Also occurs throughout central North America.
Habitat: Showy Tick-Trefoil is found in open woods and forest margins.
Flowering period: July to August.
Similar Species: The combination of the crowded flower stalk, erect plant, and alternate leaves should readily identify this species of Desmodium.