May be invasive in some regions. Click to learn more →

sickle alfalfa

Medicago falcata

herbaceous☀️ full sun💧 low waterZone 3a – Zone 8b

A hardy legume with yellow flowers and distinctive sickle-shaped seed pods, commonly used as a forage crop and nitrogen-fixing cover plant. Extremely drought-tolerant once established and valuable for improving soil in arid regions.

Overview

Form: Upright
Growth Rate: moderate
Size: 1–2.5′ tall × 1–2′ wide
Dormancy: deciduous

Tolerances & Soil

high

Zone 3aZone 8b

1471013

ColderWarmer

Seasonality

Bloom Season

Season of Interest

SpringSummer

Herb

Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.

Succession Role

pioneerearly successional

Native Range

Central Asia, Mediterranean

Function & Care

biomass/mulchdynamic accumulatorerosion controlnitrogen fixerpollinator nectary

Establishment & Care

Establishment: easy
Maintenance: low
Propagation: seed

Companion Planting

Plants well with

cabbage, broccoli, and allies

Brassica oleracea

Sickle alfalfa fixes nitrogen and its extensive root system breaks compacted soil, improving conditions for brassica root development.