Alfalfa (Plants of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque)

Alfalfa

Medicago sativa

Summary ⁵

Medicago sativa, known commonly as alfalfa or lucerne, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, and silage, as well as a green manure and cover crop.

Botanical Information ⁶

The scientific name for alfalfa is Medicago Sativa, and it is a member of the pea family, Fabaceae, also known as a legume. It is a long-lived perennial which means it will grow back from the roots year after year. The stems grow up from a woody crown to a height of around 2-3 feet. The leaves grow in an alternating pattern from the stem and are "trifoliate" with 3 leaflets making up each leaf. Each leaflet is oval-shaped with toothed margins toward the end or apex. Flowers range from purple to yellow and grow in lose clusters arising from leaf axils (the location where the leaf grows from the stem).

Ecological Information ⁷

Alfalfa grows throughout the United States and part of Canada. Alfalfa’s favorite habitat is a well-draining area with a soil pH level between 6.8 and 7.5, with plenty of sun. It has an extensive tap root and is sometimes planted to help break up compacted soil. It also a good nitrogen fixer (fixing atmospheric nitrogen into the soil) and is therefore often used to amend soil with poor nitrogen content. The animals that eat alfalfa include domestic livestock, dairy cows, horses, sheep, goats, and meat rabbits.

Ethnobotanical Information ⁸

Alfalfa is edible and medicinal and it has been used to help with many problems. The Costanoan tribes located in what is present-day California would make a heated poultice from the leaves and apply it to the ear to help treat earaches. The Navajo would dry the whole plant and feed it to livestock. Alfalfa has also been reported to help with kidney problems, bladder problems, prostate problems, asthma, arthritis, diabetes, upset stomach, and other conditions. (Note: Ethnographic reports often lack important contextual information and relevant traditional ecological knowledge.)

References ⁹

USDA, Natural Resouces Conservation Service. (2002-02-05). Plant Guide, Medicago Sativa. https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_mesa.pdf

Native American Ethnobotany Database. (2021-07-08). Medicago Sativa. http://naeb.brit.org/uses/species/2428/

Bosque Field Guide
Cartron, Lightfoot, Mygatt, Brantley, Lowrey. (2008). A Field Guide to the Plants and Animals of the Middle Rio Grande Bosque. (p. 84). New Mexico, University of New Mexico Press.

About the Author ¹⁰

Student author(s)*: Alondra and Isabella (age 13) from South Valley Academy

*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/

Sources and Credits

(c) Matt Lavin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/35478170@N08/5183007138
(c) Andreas Rockstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/74738817@N07/32597049411/
(c) Andreas Rockstein, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/74738817@N07/34689863613/
Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicago_sativa
Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) kristen_himm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) kristen_himm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) caseynm, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

Range Map

iNat Map

Color	purple
Uses	edible, medicinal
Type	herb

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Alfalfa

Summary 5

Botanical Information 6

Ecological Information 7

Ethnobotanical Information 8

References 9

About the Author 10