Quercus

Alfalfa

Medicago sativa

Not native to Kentucky

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Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

59CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · 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 59
  • Apamea devastatorGlassy Borer, Glassy Cutworm Moth
  • Apantesis figurataFigured Tiger Moth
  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
  • Autographa precationisCommon Looper 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
  • Elaphria grataGrateful Midget
  • Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
  • Feltia subgothicaSubgothic Dart
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • 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 renigeraBristly Ground Cat, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Kidney Spotted "Mamestra"
  • Loxostege cereralisAlfafa Webworm
  • Macrochilo litophoraAngulate Fan-Foot, Brown-Lined Owlet
  • Megalographa bilobaBilobed Looper Moth
  • Melanchra adjunctaHitched Arches
  • 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
  • Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
  • Sparganothis unifascianaOne-Lined Sparganothis
  • 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
  • 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)
Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Fabaceae
Flower color
Purple
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Single crown
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
Summer
Fruit ends
Summer

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

Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “Spring” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Flower color · “Purple” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “Summer” · 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 · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Height · “About 2 feet” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Life cycle · “Annual or perennial” · Minnesota Wildflowers
  • primary_flower_color · “purple” · USDA PLANTS
Also known as

Alfalfa; Sickle Medic

Conservation status

Kentucky rankSNA
Global rankGNR
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources