Black Medic.

En un coup d'œil

Care level

Easy

Plant type

Herbaceous plant

Light

Full sun

Indoor light

direct

Water

Every 7 to 14 days

Mature size

0.5 meters tall, 1 meter spread

Growth rate

fast

Hardiness

USDA 3 to 10

Bloom time

Spring to fall

Entretien

This plant is generally considered a weed and requires no special care; it thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. It can spread rapidly by seed, so mowing regularly helps to manage its presence.

Watering

Water when the top inch of soil feels dry; it tolerates some drought once established.

Feeding

Generally does not require fertilization; can fix its own nitrogen.

Pruning

Regular mowing helps control its spread and prevents seed formation.

Repotting

Typically grown as an annual or managed as a groundcover, so repotting is not common.

Soil

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

4.5-8.0

Temperature

-20.5 to 32.2°C

Humidity

20 to 60%

Sécurité

People

While the seeds are sometimes eaten after cooking, it's generally not recommended for humans to consume this plant without specific knowledge and preparation.

Children

There are no specific major concerns for children, but ingestion of large quantities of any wild plant should be avoided.

Edibility

The seeds are considered edible after cooking, but it's best to be cautious and confirm identification before consuming any wild plant.

Comment l'identifier

• Low-growing, spreading habit
• Trifoliate leaves
• Toothed leaf margins
• Small, yellow flower spikes
• Black, kidney-shaped seed heads

Height

0.15 to 0.5m

Spread

0.3 to 1m

Leaves

green, semi-evergreen

Flowers

yellow, 0.5 to 1cm

Fruit

black, Summer to fall

La cultiver

Propagation

Seed

When to plant

Spring, Fall

Black medick is a great cover crop to plant in the fall, especially in vegetable gardens, as it improves soil structure and fertility over winter.

Bonnes associations

• White Clover — Both are nitrogen-fixing legumes that thrive in similar conditions and benefit from shared resources.
• Perennial Ryegrass — Often grown together in pastures and lawns; they share similar growth habits and soil preferences.
• Dandelion — A common companion in disturbed or open areas; dandelion's deep taproot can access nutrients that black medick may not reach.

À éloigner de

• Large Perennial Weeds — Aggressive perennial weeds can outcompete black medick for light, water, and nutrients.
• Waterlogging — Black medick prefers well-drained soil and will not tolerate consistently waterlogged conditions.

Espèces similaires

• White Clover — Both have trifoliate leaves and are low-growing legumes, but white clover has distinct white or pinkish flowers and leaf markings.
• Alsike Clover — Similar habit, but alsike clover has pinkish-white flowers and lacks the distinct coiled seed heads of black medick.
• Hop Clover — Also has trifoliate leaves and yellow flowers, but hop clover flowers are typically fewer per head and more straw-colored, and its seed heads are not as tightly coiled.

Science

Family

Fabaceae

Genus

Medicago

Order

Fabales

Class

Magnoliopsida

Native range

Europe, North Africa, and Asia

Conservation

Not of conservation concern.

Black medick is an annual that colonizes open, disturbed areas and improves soil fertility through nitrogen fixation.

Value to wildlife

nectar source, larval host plant

Pollinators

bees, butterflies, moths

Uses

cover crop, forage, green manure

Taxonomie vérifiée avec le GBIF.

Ce qu'on demande souvent

What is black medick?

Black medick is a species of flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, native to Europe and Asia.

What does black medick look like?

It has yellow flowers in dense spikes and trifoliate leaves similar to clover, with small, black, coiled seed heads.

Where does black medick grow?

It thrives in sunny locations on various soil types, often found in meadows, lawns, and disturbed ground.

Is black medick good for the soil?

Yes, it's a nitrogen-fixing plant, meaning it improves soil fertility by converting atmospheric nitrogen into a form plants can use.

D'où vient le nom

The genus name 'Medicago' comes from the Greek word 'medike,' referring to Media, a region in ancient Persia, possibly where the plant was first cultivated or known. 'Lupulina' is Latin for 'hop-like,' referring to the coiled, hop-like appearance of its fruit clusters.

Bon à savoir

• It's an annual plant that fixes nitrogen in the soil.
• Its leaves fold down when the plant touches something or at night.
• Black medick can tolerate some drought and poor soils.