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Plant care

Showy Tick Trefoil (Canada tick trefoil) care

Desmodium canadense

Also called Showy tick trefoil, Canada tick trefoil, Showy tick clover.

RHS H7USDA 3-8Pet-safeIndoor 90–180 cm (3–6 ft) tall and 60–90 cm (24–36 in) wide.

Watering rhythm

10days

Water weekly to every 10 days during dry spells in the first season; once established, tolerates moderate drought but prefers consistently moist soil

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Light

Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)

Soil

Moist loam, clay-loam, or sandy loam; pH 5.5–7.0

Humidity

Moderate to high (45–75% RH)

Temp

-35°C to 38°C

Pet safety

Pet-safe

Mature size

90–180 cm (3–6 ft) tall and 60–90 cm (24–36 in) wide.

Care at a glance

Light

Aim for at least 4-6 hours of direct sun on the leaves. Best in full sun to light partial shade (4–6 hours direct sun minimum); in dense shade flowering is markedly reduced and stems become lax and fall over without support. If your only bright window faces south, that's perfect for showy tick trefoil — same window any aroid would fry on.

Watering

Watering showy tick trefoil: water weekly to every 10 days during dry spells in the first season; once established, tolerates moderate drought but prefers consistently moist soil. The number that matters isn't the day of the week — it's how dry the top 2-3 cm of the pot feels. A finger in the soil tells you more than a watering app. After every watering, tip the saucer. More tolerant of moist and even seasonally wet soil than most prairie natives; performs well in rain gardens and at pond margins. Avoid prolonged waterlogging of crown over winter.

Soil and pot

Showy Tick Trefoil grows best in moist loam, clay-loam, or sandy loam; ph 5.5–7.0. Adaptable to a range of soil textures from sandy to moderately heavy clay; fixes its own nitrogen so lean native soils require no amendment. Mulching retains moisture and moderates soil temperature. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Showy Tick Trefoil sits happiest at around Moderate to high (45–75% RH) humidity and -35°C to 38°C (-31°F to 100°F). Native to humid eastern and central prairie biomes; tolerates a wide range of atmospheric humidity and does not require any specific humidity management in outdoor gardens. If you keep the room above year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed showy tick trefoil sparingly. No feeding required; as a nitrogen-fixing legume it meets its own nutritional needs in average to lean soils. Fertilising promotes excessive height and flopping. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on showy tick trefoil in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

  • Aggressive self-seeding — Plants spread prolifically by seed in gardens; deadhead promptly after flowering, or remove spent racemes before the sticky loments mature and disperse — they attach to clothing and animal fur and are difficult to remove.
  • Stem flop in shade or rich soil — In shadier sites or nutrient-rich garden beds, stems may reach 2 m and flop without support; plant in full sun with lean soil and use pea sticks or neighbouring grasses to provide natural support.

Propagation

Seed is easiest — scarify or soak in warm water for 12 hours, then cold-stratify 60 days before spring sowing indoors, or sow direct in autumn; division of established clumps in early spring before new growth is also effective. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Showy Tick Trefoil is pet-safe. Desmodium canadense is not listed by the ASPCA as toxic to cats or dogs; the primary animal-related concern is the sticky seed pods (loments) adhering to fur, which can cause matting and skin irritation if not removed promptly. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Showy Tick Trefoil care — frequently asked questions

What is the common name for Desmodium canadense?

Desmodium canadense is most commonly called Showy Tick Trefoil, but it is also known as Showy tick trefoil, Canada tick trefoil, Showy tick clover. The names refer to the same species, so care instructions for Showy Tick Trefoil apply identically to anything sold as Canada tick trefoil.

How much light does showy tick trefoil need?

Showy Tick Trefoil grows best in direct sun (at least 4-6 hours). Best in full sun to light partial shade (4–6 hours direct sun minimum); in dense shade flowering is markedly reduced and stems become lax and fall over without support.

How often should I water showy tick trefoil?

Water showy tick trefoil water weekly to every 10 days during dry spells in the first season; once established, tolerates moderate drought but prefers consistently moist soil. More tolerant of moist and even seasonally wet soil than most prairie natives; performs well in rain gardens and at pond margins. Avoid prolonged waterlogging of crown over winter. The finger-test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) beats a fixed weekly calendar because pot size, light, and season all change how fast the soil dries.

Is showy tick trefoil toxic to cats and dogs?

Showy Tick Trefoil is pet-safe. Desmodium canadense is not listed by the ASPCA as toxic to cats or dogs; the primary animal-related concern is the sticky seed pods (loments) adhering to fur, which can cause matting and skin irritation if not removed promptly.

What USDA hardiness zone does showy tick trefoil grow in?

Showy Tick Trefoil is rated for USDA zone 3-8 and RHS hardiness H7. Outside that range, grow it as a container plant that overwinters indoors before the first hard frost.

Showy Tick Trefoil deep-dive guides

Every aspect of showy tick trefoil care, each with its own calibrated guide:

Featured in these plant shortlists

Showy Tick Trefoil qualifies for 10 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

Related guides

Showy Tick Trefoil is also known as Showy tick trefoil, Canada tick trefoil, and Showy tick clover.