Trefoil Medicago lupulina
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- me-DIH-kay-go loop-yoo-LY-nuh
- Description
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Medicago lupulina, commonly known as Black Medick or Hop Clover, is a summer or winter annual or short lived perennial in the bean family usually found in disturbed areas or lawns, as well as in fields and pastures. Black Medick is a flowering, broadleaf evergreen that spreads up to 2 1/2 feet prostrate across the ground. The plant has trifoliate leaves with a spur on the center leaflet and yellow flowers that bloom in a rounded cluster at the end of a stem emerging from the leaves. The genus name is Latin for median, because alfalfa, a related plant, was thought to come from Media (now called Iran). The species name means wolf-like.
Black Medick thrives in nutrient poor and dry soils in areas with full to partial sun, moist to mesic conditions, and soil containing loam, clay-loam, or gravel. The root system includes a coarse branched taproot that may form nodules. They add nitrogen to the surrounding soil.
Each globe-shaped flower head consists of a dense cluster of 15-50 small yellow flowers. Each leaf is divided into 3 leaflets, also referred to as trifoliate. The center leaflet is attached to the stem by a short stalk, while the two outer leaflets attach directly to the stem.
This aggressive plant forms dense clusters of seedpods after flowering. To manage this plant in the landscape, requires hand pulling or weeding tools that can remove the large taproot. Fixing these issues in your lawn and garden will minimize the appearance of this weed.
Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems:
This is an aggressive, weedy plant.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Medicago
- Species:
- lupulina
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- Introduced from Eurasia into North America as a source of forage for livestock.
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Macronesia, Europe, Asia
- Distribution:
- World wide including the entire United States.
- Wildlife Value:
- Bees, flies and small butterflies are attracted to this plant. Animals will graze on this plant.
- Play Value:
- Attracts Pollinators
- Edibility:
- Leaves and seeds can be eaten when cooked.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Annual
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Weed
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Prostrate
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 12 inches-3 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Legume
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- The dense cluster of seeds can aggressively spread this plant's habitat. The pods are dark in color, hairy and curled. Each pod contains one seed. Hairy, kidney-shaped, slightly coiled and arranged in clusters, black when ripe
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Raceme
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Shape:
- Dome
- Irregular
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- The globe-shaped flower head is a dense cluster of 15 to 50 small flowers. Inflorescence is a 1/4 inch globe shaped cluster made up of 15-50 pea-like floral structures, each 1/8 inch across and with an upper standard and lower keel.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Smooth
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Obovate
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Dentate
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- The green to dark green trifoliate leaves are each divided into 3 leaflets. The middle leaflet has a short stalk, while the two outer leaflets are attached to the stem. There are fine light green veins on the upper surface of the leaves. At the base of each petiole, there is a pair of stipules that are lanceolate to ovate and variable in size. The leaflets of the compound leaves are up to 2/3 of an inch long and half as much across. Each middle leaflet has a short stalk, while the lateral leaflets are sessile.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Buds:
- Hairy
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Light green or red-green stems with white hairs can reach a length of 30 inches. Older plants have less hair. They may also be branched, prostrate, or ascending.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Container
- Hanging Baskets
- Meadow
- Slope/Bank
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Problems:
- Weedy
