Hylodesmum, Genus, spp., Multiple species,
- Genus
- Multiple species
Eastern Asia and eastern North America
Overview
Hylodesmum is a genus of about fourteen woodland perennials and subshrubs in the pea family, Fabaceae, split off from Desmodium, 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 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
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1'6" - 4'
Width/Spread1' - 2'6"
Bloom Information
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 purpleFoliage Description
GreenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
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
