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Medicago
sativa (Alfalfa) Fabaceae (Pea Family) Foothills, montane. Fields, openings. Spring,
summer, fall. This soft, lovely flower is so common as to go unnoticed. Alfalfa is grown as a crop of course ("sativa" is Greek for "planted"), but it also makes a beautiful yard or garden plant. It is very drought resistant and long and prolific in its flowering. Plants grow to several feet tall and wide and bloom from late spring through fall. Flower color is commonly very light to very deep purple, but it may be white or even (as shown below) yellow. Linnaeus named this genus of about five dozen Eurasian species in 1753. It is believed that over 3,000 years ago Medicago sativa was first cultivated in, and named for, the ancient country of Media (present northwest Iran). |
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Medicago
sativa (Alfalfa) Fabaceae (Pea Family) Foothills, montane. Fields, openings. Spring,
summer, fall. |
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Medicago
sativa
(Alfalfa) Fabaceae (Pea Family) Foothills, montane. Fields, openings. Spring,
summer, fall. |
Range map © John Kartesz,
County Color Key
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Range map for Medicago sativa |
Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state
Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Eradicated
Questionable presence