Toothed Medick

Medicago polymorpha

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in fields, roadsides, lawns, disturbed areas, vacant lots. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height: 1.5–2 feet
Spread: 6 inches–2.5 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Somewhat dry to moist

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Bluestem Goldenrod
Solidago caesia
Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Yellow.
Similar growth form, height, spread
Different: bloom season
Zigzag Goldenrod
Solidago flexicaulis
Sun: Full sun. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Yellow.
Similar growth form, height, spread
Different: bloom season
Common Evening-primrose
Oenothera biennis
Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Dry to average. Flowers: Yellow.
Similar growth form, evergreen or deciduous, bloom season

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At a glance

Life cycle: Annual or perennial
Bloom: March to April
Fruiting season: Spring to summer

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Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 6 Arkansas counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

60CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR

Genus host records with ranges including AR · Medicago

Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
Agnorisma badinodisPale-Banded Dart
Agrotis gladiariaSwordsman Dart, Clay-Backed Cut-Worm
Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
Agrotis venerabilisVenerable Dart, Dusky Cut-Worm
Agrotis vetustaOld Man Dart
Amyna strictaEight-Spot Moth
Anagrapha falciferaCelery Looper Moth
Anarta trifoliiThe Nutmeg, Clover Cutworm
Anticarsia gemmatalisVelvetbean Caterpillar Moth

Show all 60

Apantesis figurataFigured Tiger Moth
Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
Caenurgina crassiusculaForage Looper Moth, Clover Looper, Range Grass Moth
Caenurgina erechteaClover Looper Moth, Common Grass Moth, Forage Looper
Cecropterus pyladesNorthern Cloudywing
Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
Colias eurythemeOrange Sulphur, Alfalfa Butterfly
Colias philodiceClouded Sulphur, Clover Butterfly
Cupido comyntasEastern Tailed-Blue
Echinargus isolaReakirt's Blue, Isola Blue
Elaphria grataGrateful Midget
Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
Feltia subgothicaSubgothic Dart
Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
Gesta funeralisFunereal Duskywing
Glaucopsyche lygdamusSilvery Blue
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Heliothis phloxiphagaSpotted Straw Sun Moth, Darker Spotted Straw Moth
Herpetogramma bipunctalisSouthern Beet Webworm, Two-Spotted Herpetogramma
Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
Iridopsis humariaSmall Purplish Gray
Iridopsis larvariaBent-Line Gray
Lacinipolia explicataExplicit Groundcat, Explicit Arches
Lacinipolia loreaBridled Arches, Bridle Groundcat
Lacinipolia lustralisLustral "Mamestra"
Lacinipolia renigeraBristly Ground Cat, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Kidney Spotted "Mamestra"
Leptotes marinaMarine Blue
Macrochilo litophoraAngulate Fan-Foot, Brown-Lined Owlet
Megalographa bilobaBilobed Looper Moth
Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
Nomophila nearcticaLucerne Moth, American Celery Webworm
Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
Phoebis sennaeCloudless Sulphur
Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
Udea rubigalisCelery Leaftier
Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
Zerene cesoniaSouthern Dogface
Platynota nigrocervina
Xenotemna pallorana

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

10BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Medicago

Antigone canadensisSandhill Crane
Branta canadensisCanada Goose
Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
Callipepla gambeliiGambel's Quail
Centrocercus urophasianusGreater Sage-Grouse
Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
Perdix perdixGray Partridge
Pheucticus melanocephalusBlack-headed Grosbeak
Tympanuchus pallidicinctusLesser Prairie-Chicken

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Fabaceae
Hardiness: Zones 3a–9b
Soil pH: Acidic to alkaline
Flower color: Yellow
Growth rate: Moderate
Growth habit: Single crown
Foliage color: Dark green
Fruit begins: Spring
Fruit ends: Summer

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “March to April” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Foliage color · “Dark green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit ends · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth habit · “Single crown” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “1.5–2 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
Life cycle · “Annual or perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
primary_flower_color · “yellow” · USDA PLANTS
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “6 inches–2.5 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Conservation status

Arkansas rank	SNA
Global rank	GNR
AR status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source