| Scientific Name: |
Medicago sativa |
| Common Name: |
Alfalfa |
| Duration of Life: |
Annual, Perennial |
| Bloom Color: |
Purple |
| Plant Origin: |
Introduced |
| Soil Type prefered: |
Loam, Clay |
| Drought Tolerance: |
High |
| Flower Conspicuous: |
Yes |
| Soil Fertility Requirement: |
High |
| Moisture Use: |
High |
| Shade Tolerance: |
Intolerant |
| Active Growth Period: |
Spring, Summer, Fall |
| Anaerobic Tolerance: |
None |
| Calcium Carbonate Tolerance: |
High |
| Bloom Period: |
Spring |
| Commercial Availability: |
Routinely Available |
| Cold Stratification Required: |
No |
| Fall Conspicuous: |
No |
| Frost Free Days, Minimum: |
90 |
| Foliage Color: |
Green |
| Fruit/Seed Abundance: |
High |
| Fruit/Seed Period Begin: |
Summer |
| Fruit/Seed Conspicuous: |
No |
| Fruit/Seed Period End: |
Summer |
| Fruit/Seed Color: |
Brown |
| Fruit/Seed Persistence: |
No |
| Fire Tolerance: |
High |
| Foliage Texture: |
Fine |
| Growth Form: |
Single Crown |
| Growth Habit: |
Forb/herb |
| Growth Rate: |
Rapid |
| Height, Mature (feet): |
2 |
| Leaf Retention: |
No |
| Low Growing Grass: |
No |
| Life Span: |
Long |
| Nitrogen Fixation: |
High |
| pH (Maximum): |
8.5 |
| pH (Minimum): |
6 |
| Precipitation (Minimum): |
12 |
| Protein Potential: |
High |
| Resprout Ability: |
No |
| Root Depth, Min. (inches): |
24 |
| Salt Tolerance: |
Low |
| Shape and Orientation: |
Erect |
| Small Grain: |
No |
| Seed per Pound: |
226800 |
| Seed Spread Rate: |
Slow |
| Seedling Vigor: |
High |
| Temperature, Minimum (F): |
-43 |
| Toxicity: |
None |
| Vegetative Spread Rate: |
Slow |
| Propagation: |
Seed |
| Palpable: (eatable) |
|
| Uses: |
Fodder |
| Category: |
Dicot |
| Division: |
Magnoliophyta |
| Class: |
Magnoliopsida |
| Order: |
Fabales |
| Family: |
Fabaceae |
| Genus: |
Medicago |
