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Naked Tick-trefoil

Desmodium nudiflorum

Found in moist to dry forests. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

69
Strong

Native to Mississippi (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
1 foot–3 feet 4 inches
Light
Dappled sunlight, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
Summer
Fruiting season
August to October

Not yet recorded · Spread

Recorded in 43 Mississippi counties.

Natural habitats

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

1 of 2

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Mississippi. Shared habitat, not food. 58 animals.

Widespread birds also seen here (31)

Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.

All wildlife of Mississippi

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

27CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS

Genus host records with ranges including MS · Desmodium

  • Epargyreus clarusSilver-spotted Skipper
  • Aristotelia roseosuffusellaPink-Washed Aristotelia
  • Brenthia pavonacellaPeacock Brenthia Moth
  • Caloptilia violacellaTick-Trefoil Caloptilia
  • Cecropterus bathyllusSouthern Cloudywing
  • Cecropterus dorantesDorantes Longtail, Lilac-Banded Longtail
  • Cecropterus lyciadesHoary Edge
  • Cecropterus pyladesNorthern Cloudywing
  • Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
  • Coelostathma discopunctanaThe Batman Moth
Show all 27
  • Cupido comyntasEastern Tailed-Blue
  • Dasylophia anguinaBlack-Spotted Prominent
  • Eurema dairaBarred Yellow, Barred Sulphur
  • Exelastis pumilioDwarf Plume Moth
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
  • Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
  • Omiodes indicataBean-Leaf Webworm Moth
  • Orphanostigma haemorrhoidalisLantana Leaftier
  • Pyrrhia ciliscaAmerican Bordered Sallow, Noble Sun Moth
  • Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
  • Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
  • Stenoptilodes taprobanesNarrow Plume Moth
  • Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
  • Triclonella pergandeellaSweetclover Root Borer, Bush-Clover Triclonella
  • Urbanus proteusLong-Tailed Skipper, Bean Leaf Roller
  • Cosmopterix lespedezae
  • Porphyrosela desmodiella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
15BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Desmodium

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
1BirdsRecorded eating Desmodium in Mississippi

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Birds whose range includes Mississippi, most records first.

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab)

Direct food only. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Birds that eat Desmodium 1

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Fabaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–8b
Soil pH
Neutral
Flower color
Pink or purple
Fruit begins
August
Fruit ends
October

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Desmodium nudiflorum; Naked Tick Trefoil; tick trefoil; tick-trefoil

Conservation status

Mississippi rankSNR
Global rankG5
MS statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources