Desmodium
Desmodium intortum
Also listed as Desmodium adhaesivum, Meibomia intorta
Also known as Greenleaf Ticktrefoil, Beggar-lice, Green-leaf Desmodium
Climate Match for your location
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Desmodium intortum, commonly called silverleaf desmodium, is a tropical legume used as a cover crop and forage plant that fixes nitrogen and improves soil fertility. It establishes quickly, tolerates poor soils, and provides excellent biomass while supporting pollinators.
Why grow it
Silverleaf desmodium competes well with other tropical legume cover crops in its speed of establishment and soil tolerance, making it useful where quick ground cover is needed in degraded or marginal soils. Like other Desmodium species, it delivers nitrogen fixation and biomass production, but with notably vigorous growth suited to high-rainfall regions. Where climate permits year-round growth, it can outperform temperate legumes in productivity and pest suppression through allelopathic effects on certain soil pathogens.
Watch out for
In wet seasons, dense growth may create conditions favoring fungal disease if air circulation is poor; thinning or spacing may be needed in high-humidity settings. Seed sourcing matters for genetic adaptation to local conditions, as tropical provenance material may not perform identically across all growing zones within its suitable range. Removal or management is advisable if you later want to transition the field to a different crop, as residual plants can persist through vegetative regrowth.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Fabaceae
Native Range
Tropical Africa
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Ground cover
Low spreading plants that carpet the soil.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Flood Tolerance
Deer Resistance
Inferred from USDA browse palatability
pH Range
Soil Texture
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
Desmodium intortum, commonly called silverleaf desmodium, is a tropical legume used as a cover crop and forage plant that fixes nitrogen and improves soil fertility. It establishes quickly, tolerates poor soils, and provides excellent biomass while supporting pollinators.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Desmodium grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Silverleaf desmodium competes well with other tropical legume cover crops in its speed of establishment and soil tolerance, making it useful where quick ground cover is needed in degraded or marginal soils. Like other Desmodium species, it delivers nitrogen fixation and biomass production, but with notably vigorous growth suited to high-rainfall regions. Where climate permits year-round growth, it can outperform temperate legumes in productivity and pest suppression through allelopathic effects on certain soil pathogens.
Watch out for
In wet seasons, dense growth may create conditions favoring fungal disease if air circulation is poor; thinning or spacing may be needed in high-humidity settings. Seed sourcing matters for genetic adaptation to local conditions, as tropical provenance material may not perform identically across all growing zones within its suitable range. Removal or management is advisable if you later want to transition the field to a different crop, as residual plants can persist through vegetative regrowth.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Fabaceae
Native Range
Tropical Africa
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Ground cover
Low spreading plants that carpet the soil.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Flood Tolerance
Deer Resistance
Inferred from USDA browse palatability
pH Range
Soil Texture
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
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