Alfalfa (Lucerne)
Medicago sativa
Non-foodZones 3–9herb
Medicago sativa, commonly known as alfalfa in North America and lucerne in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae.
Description from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
At a glance
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Water need
- Low
- Mature height
- 0.8 m
- Maintenance
- Low
- Hardiness
- USDA 3–9
- Layers
- herb
Functional roles
n-fixerdynamic-accumulatorfodderpollinator
Propagation
How to make more of this plant for free — the permaculture way.
seedeasy
When: Sow spring
Deep taproot mines minerals and fixes nitrogen; cut for mulch or fodder.
Where to get it
Read more
Seed data pending expert review. Identification photo and description are sourced from Wikipedia/Wikimedia; always confirm a plant in person before eating any part of it.