Medicago sativa L.
Alfalfa
Alfalfa, known in Britain as lucerne, is a deep-rooted perennial legume grown worldwide as a forage and green-manure crop rather than a native wildflower. It forms upright, bushy clumps of trifoliate leaves and carries spikes of small pea-flowers in shades of violet to purple-blue, followed by characteristically spiralled seed pods.
About
Alfalfa, known in Britain as lucerne, is a deep-rooted perennial legume grown worldwide as a forage and green-manure crop rather than a native wildflower. It forms upright, bushy clumps of trifoliate leaves and carries spikes of small pea-flowers in shades of violet to purple-blue, followed by characteristically spiralled seed pods. Its long taproot lets it draw moisture from well below the surface, making it notably drought-tolerant.
In this country it is a cultivated plant that has become naturalised, turning up on field margins, road verges, embankments and rough ground, generally on dry, free-draining and lime-rich soils in full sun. It flowers through the summer, and the blooms are readily worked by honeybees and bumblebees, making it valuable for pollinators. As a nitrogen-fixing legume it is widely used to build soil fertility and as high-protein fodder, and it appears in agricultural leys and some pollinator and green-manure seed mixes.
Also known as
Lucerne · Medick
Synonyms
Medica sativa · Medicago afganica · Medicago falcata · Medicago praesativa spontanea · Medicago roborovskii · Medicago sativa microphylla · Medicago sativa sativa · Medicago sativa vulgaris · Medicago vera
In our seed mixes
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.