Flower profile

Showy tick-trefoil

Desmodium canadense

Showy tick-trefoil (Desmodium canadense) is a flowering plant in the Fabaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–August across the U.S.

Native to Minnesota

Showy tick-trefoil is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Minnesota it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.

29states where USDA records it

1,803MN sightings*

7,393U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Minnesota

Quick look

Desmodium canadense is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is native to eastern North America. Its common names include showy tick-trefoil, Canadian tick-trefoil, and Canada tickclover.
From Wikipedia's article Desmodium canadense, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Fabaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 29 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Minnesota. ^NatureServe
In Minnesota, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 1,803 research-grade sightings of it in Minnesota, ranking #67 among the 152 flowers on our Minnesota list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In Minnesota, most flowering sightings come in June–August.

Flowering records by month in Minnesota (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (270 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Minnesota: Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. ^{Minn. R. 6134.0300}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: DE (SH), MD (SH), VA (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records showy tick-trefoil in 29 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Minnesota counties with USDA records: Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Benton, Blue Earth, Brown, Carver, Cass, Chippewa, Chisago, Clay, Clearwater, Cottonwood, Crow Wing, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Faribault, Freeborn, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Jackson, Kanabec, Kandiyohi, Kittson, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, McLeod, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Norman, Olmsted, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Pipestone, Polk, Pope, Ramsey, Red Lake, Redwood, Scott, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd, Traverse, Wabasha, Waseca, Washington, Watonwan, Winona, Wright, Yellow Medicine.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Meibomia canadensis.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 625 counties across 26 states; the most are in Illinois (77), Minnesota (63), Pennsylvania (54).

Other Desmodium on Bloomipedia (1): Creeping beggarweed.

More from the Fabaceae family (114 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lupines, White clover, Red clover, Eastern redbud, Purple crownvetch, Bird's-foot trefoil, Partridge pea, White sweetclover.

More Minnesota flowers

Bird's-foot trefoil

Lotus corniculatus

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in MN: June–August

Leadplant

Amorpha canescens

Native

🌼 Blooms in MN: June–July

Purple crownvetch

Securigera varia

★ PA state beautification and conservation plantIntroduced

🌼 Blooms in MN: June–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile DECA7.
iNaturalist, Desmodium canadense: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Desmodium canadense (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Minnesota: Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300).
Minnesota: Minnesota Noxious Weed List (Minn. Stat. § 18.79; Minnesota Department of Agriculture, updated January 2026).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Desmodium canadense (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: Thomas Boe via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.