// SPECIES PROFILE · PERENNIAL · NATIVE

Stiff ticktrefoil

Desmodium obtusum

Stiff ticktrefoil (Desmodium obtusum) is a perennial in the — family. Native range includes AR, KS, MO, OK. Hardy in zones 2b–11b. Mature size 17"–2'. Blooms Apr–Oct.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: —
Group: perennial
Native range: Native to 31 U.S. states, including AL, AR, CO, CT, DC, DE…
USDA hardiness: Zones 2b–11b
Mature size: 17"–2'
Sun: —
Water: —
Bloom: Apr–Oct
Wildlife value: Pollinator and wildlife support
Ecological role: native species profile

Stiff ticktrefoil (Desmodium obtusum) — *Desmodium obtusum* — Stiff ticktrefoil. Photo by Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Vol. 2: 402. Courtesy of Kentucky Native Plant Society. Scanned by Omnitek Inc. via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Stiff ticktrefoil (Desmodium obtusum) is a perennial in the — family. Native range includes AR, KS, MO, OK. Hardy in zones 2b–11b. Mature size 17"–2'. Blooms Apr–Oct.

Why it's on this list: native species profile. Native-range data from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (NPIN), cross-checked against iNaturalist observations. Part of Rooted Revival's regional native plant catalog — true natives for Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas.

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In the same native range, stiff ticktrefoil pairs naturally with: Broadleaf Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia), Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis), False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides).