Desmodium elegans

RHS Plant Profile
elegant tick clover

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elegant tick clover Dorling Kindersley 2003
elegant tick clover RHS / Joanna Kossak

Synonyms

Lespedeza tiliifolia
Desmodium tiliifolium
Desmodium elegans var. tiliifolium

Shrubs
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A deciduous subshrub with ternate leaves and panicles or racemes of small rosy-pink pea-flowers in late summer and autumn

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
5–10 years
Max Spread
1-1.5 metres
Max Height
1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H5
Drought Resistance
Yes

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Fabaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy
Genus
Desmodium can be herbaceous perennials or deciduous shrubs or subshrubs, with pinnate or palmate leaves and loose racemes of small, pea-like pink or white flowers in late summer and autumn
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
China Himalaya

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grows well in most soils but in colder areas may require protection from frosts and cold drying winds

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in containers in a cold frame in autumn or take softwood cuttings in late spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Mediterranean climate plants
  • Low Maintenance
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Banks and slopes

Pruning

Pruning group 4 or pruning group 6

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

Generally disease-free