Hylodesmum nudiflorum (naked-flowered tick-trefoil)

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Hylodesmum spp.

Fabaceae

Eastern Asia and eastern North America

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

WaterMedium · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 4–8

Overview

Hylodesmum spp. is a genus of about fourteen woodland perennials and subshrubs in the pea family, Fabaceae, split off from Desmodium spp., with species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. Plants form open, upright to leaning clumps 1.5-4 feet (0.5-1.2 m) tall, usually with the leaves gathered toward the top of the stem. Each leaf is divided into three broad leaflets, and from mid to late summer slender, branching flower stalks rise above the foliage carrying small pink to purple pea flowers about 0.3 inch (8 mm) long. The flowers give way to flat seed pods that are pinched into several one-seeded segments; the pod surface is covered in tiny hooked hairs that cling to fur and clothing, which spreads the seed. Hylodesmum spp. grows in the dappled shade of deciduous woods and woodland edges on moist, humus-rich soil, where it spreads slowly into loose colonies. As legumes, the plants fix nitrogen and tolerate poor soils, though the clinging pods can become a nuisance near paths. H. glutinosum and H. nudiflorum are the eastern North American species.

Native Range

Native to deciduous woodland of eastern Asia and eastern North America; H. glutinosum and H. nudiflorum occur from the eastern United States into Canada.

Suggested Uses

Grown in woodland and native-plant gardens, shaded borders, and naturalised plantings under deciduous trees. The summer flowers suit informal shade plantings among ferns and woodland perennials. It is also used in habitat plantings as a nectar and larval plant for native insects.

How to Identify

Recognised by upright woodland clumps with leaves of three broad leaflets clustered toward the top of the stem, and slender summer flower stalks of small pink to purple pea flowers. Flat pods follow, pinched into one-seeded segments and covered in tiny hooked hairs that stick to fur and clothing. The clinging segmented pods separate it from clovers and bush clovers.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1'6" - 4'

Width/Spread1' - 2'6"

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Summer

Flowering runs from mid to late summer, roughly July to September. Small pink to purple pea flowers open along slender, branching stalks held above the leaves. Flowering is followed by flat, sticky, segmented pods that ripen into autumn.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

Pink to purple

Foliage Description

Green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Requires 2-5 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam sand clay

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Hylodesmum spp. grows in part to full shade on moist, humus-rich woodland soil, tolerating the dry shade under trees once established. It accepts a range of soils from sandy to clay loam, provided drainage is reasonable, and as a legume it grows on low-fertility ground. Steady moisture suits it in the growing season, though established clumps withstand short dry spells. Plants are hardy across cool-temperate zones and die back to the rootstock over winter. Little feeding is needed, and the clinging pods can be cut off before they ripen if seed spread is unwanted. It is grown from seed or by division of the crown.

Pruning

Spent flower and pod stalks are cut back after seed set to limit self-sowing and the spread of clinging pods. The whole plant is cut to the ground in late autumn or winter once dormant. No other pruning is needed.

✓ Toxicity

Non-toxic