Alfalfa
Legumes
Alfalfa
Medicago sativa L.
Longevity: Perennial
Palatability: Very High
Winter Hardiness: Good
Drought Tolerance: Good
Cool or Warm Season: Cool
Bloat Hazard: Yes
Use and Comments: Hay, silage, pasture, green manure crop.
Distribution in U.S.: Northern half; increasing acreage in the Southeast
Height: 15-36 inches
Inflorescence: Raceme consists of 5 to 20 florets commonly purple but some may be blue, yellow, and cream.
Leaves: Pinnately trifoliolate (three leaflets per leaf); serrations on tip of leaflets; stipules have teeth, lobes and sharp pointed tips. Some varieties have a multifoliate charactersitic as seen in the following image.
Roots: Long, deep taproot.
Drainage: Well Drained
Fertility: High
pH: 6.6-7.2
Color: Yellow to greenish-yellow, browning with age
Shape: Kidney
Longevity: Perennial
Palatability: Very High
Winter Hardiness: Good
Drought Tolerance: Good
Cool or Warm Season: Cool
Bloat Hazard: Yes
Use and Comments: Hay, silage, pasture, green manure crop.
Distribution in U.S.: Northern half; increasing acreage in the Southeast
Height: 15-36 inches
Inflorescence: Raceme consists of 5 to 20 florets commonly purple but some may be blue, yellow, and cream.
Leaves: Pinnately trifoliolate (three leaflets per leaf); serrations on tip of leaflets; stipules have teeth, lobes and sharp pointed tips. Some varieties have a multifoliate charactersitic as seen in the following image.
Roots: Long, deep taproot.
Drainage: Well Drained
Fertility: High
pH: 6.6-7.2
Color: Yellow to greenish-yellow, browning with age
Shape: Kidney
