| Agronomy
105's Weed ID |
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Alfalfa
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| Alfalfa
is a perennial legume that has been called the "queen of the forages."
It is common to find roots of alfalfa extending 15 feet or more into the
soil. Alfalfa is a very heavy water user and thus is seldom grown
in drier areas of the United States without irrigation due to its habit
of depleting water from the soil profile. |
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The flowers
of alfalfa are usually a light purple or violet color, however there are
also white, yellow and blue flowered varieties. Alfalfa should be
cut for hay when 10% of the plants are in bloom. In the seedling
stage alfalfa looks very much like sweet clover and the leaf margin serrations
are the best way to tell the two species apart. |
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| Sweet
clover leaves have serrations around the entire leaf whereas alfalfa leaves
are only serrated near the leaf tips. |
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The kidney
shaped seeds of alfalfa are yellowish-brown to greenish-brown in color
and often have one blunt or rounded end. |