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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 Louisiana. 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
See native alternatives

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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

  • Common Evening-primrose
    Oenothera biennis

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Dry to average. Flowers: Yellow.

    Similar growth form, evergreen or deciduous, bloom season

  • Midwestern Evening-primrose
    Oenothera pilosella

    Sun: Full sun. Soil: Average to wet. Flowers: Purple.

    Similar growth form, height, spread

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At a glance

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

Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 55 Louisiana parishes.

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

54CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA

Genus host records with ranges including LA · 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
  • Amyna strictaEight-Spot Moth
  • Anagrapha falciferaCelery Looper Moth
  • Anticarsia gemmatalisVelvetbean Caterpillar Moth
  • Apantesis figurataFigured Tiger Moth
  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
Show all 54
  • Argyrotaenia ivanaIvana 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
  • Eurema dairaBarred Yellow, Barred Sulphur
  • Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
  • Feltia repletaReplete Dart
  • Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
  • Gesta funeralisFunereal Duskywing
  • 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
  • Lacinipolia explicataExplicit Groundcat, Explicit Arches
  • Lacinipolia renigeraBristly Ground Cat, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Kidney Spotted "Mamestra"
  • Macrochilo litophoraAngulate Fan-Foot, Brown-Lined Owlet
  • Megalographa bilobaBilobed Looper Moth
  • Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
  • Nomophila nearcticaLucerne Moth, American Celery Webworm
  • Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
  • Phoebis sennaeCloudless Sulphur
  • Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
  • Platynota rostranaOmnivorous 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
  • 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

Conservation status

Louisiana rankSNA
Global rankGNR
LA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources