Plant Details

Medicago sativa

Alfalfa, Yellow alfalfa

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Common names

56 names · 40 languages
EnglishYour language
  • Alfalfa[1]
  • Lucerne[1]
  • Yellow alfalfa
Other languages (39)
Dutch
French
  • Luzerne[1]
  • Luzerne cultivée[1]
Afrikaans
Arabic
  • برسيم حجازي[1]
  • فصة معمرة[1]
  • فصفصة[1]
Arapaho
  • niisniikou'usei'i[1]
Armenian
  • Առվույտ[1]
Belarusian
  • Люцэрна пасяўная або сіняя[1]
Catalan
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Croatian
Czech
  • tolice vojtěška[1]
Danish
Estonian
  • harilik lutsern[1]
Finnish
  • sinimailanen[1]
German
Greek
  • Τριφύλλι Αλφάλφα[1]
Hebrew
  • אספסת תרבותית[1]
Hungarian
  • takarmánylucerna[1]
Italian
Japanese
  • アルファルファ[1]
  • ムラサキウマゴヤシ[1]
Korean
  • 자주개자리[1]
Latvian
  • Sējas lucerna[1]
Lithuanian
  • Mėlynžiedė liucerna[1]
Malay
Mono
Norwegian
  • blålusern[1]
Polish
  • Lucerna siewna[1]
Portuguese
Russian
  • Люцерна посевная[1]
Serbian
  • Луцерка[1]
Slovak
  • lucerna siata[1]
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
  • foderlusern[1]
Turkish
  • alfaalfa[1]
  • Kara Yonca (Şark Yoncası)[1]
  • Karayonca[1]
Ukrainian
  • Люцерна посівна[1]
Welsh
Zapoteco
  • coba-picina-xi-castilla[1]
Sources & name notes (1)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Medicago sativa — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Alfalfa — results[1].names[1]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Alfalfa — results[1].names[2]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Luzerne cultivée — results[1].names[3]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • coba-picina-xi-castilla — results[1].names[4]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • ムラサキウマゴヤシ — results[1].names[6]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Lucerne — results[1].names[7]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • sinimailanen — results[1].names[8]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Luzerne — results[1].names[9]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Alfafa — results[1].names[10]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Luzerna — results[1].names[11]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Alfalfa — results[1].names[12]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • אספסת תרבותית — results[1].names[13]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Люцерна посевная — results[1].names[14]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Luzerne — results[1].names[15]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • tolice vojtěška — results[1].names[16]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Userda — results[1].names[17]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Mėlynžiedė liucerna — results[1].names[18]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • blålusern — results[1].names[19]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • erba medica — results[1].names[20]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • erba Spagna — results[1].names[21]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Alfalfa — results[1].names[22]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • برسيم حجازي — results[1].names[23]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Lucerna siewna — results[1].names[24]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • فصة معمرة — results[1].names[25]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • فصفصة — results[1].names[26]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Luzerne — results[1].names[27]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Lucerne — results[1].names[28]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • afarfa — results[1].names[29]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • foderlusern — results[1].names[30]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • 苜蓿 — results[1].names[31]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • 紫苜蓿 — results[1].names[32]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • 紫苜蓿 — results[1].names[33]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • アルファルファ — results[1].names[34]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Τριφύλλι Αλφάλφα — results[1].names[35]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • harilik lutsern — results[1].names[36]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • niisniikou'usei'i — results[1].names[37]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Առվույտ — results[1].names[38]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • 자주개자리 — results[1].names[39]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • alfaalfa — results[1].names[40]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Lusern — results[1].names[41]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Люцерна посівна — results[1].names[42]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Люцэрна пасяўная або сіняя — results[1].names[43]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • lucerna — results[1].names[45]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Sējas lucerna — results[1].names[46]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • takarmánylucerna — results[1].names[47]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Lucerna — results[1].names[48]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • lucerna siata — results[1].names[49]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • alfalfa — results[1].names[50]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • 紫花苜蓿 — results[1].names[51]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Kara Yonca (Şark Yoncası) — results[1].names[52]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Alfals — results[1].names[53]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Maglys — results[1].names[54]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Луцерка — results[1].names[55]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • sonabü — results[1].names[56]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Karayonca — results[1].names[57]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.

General information

Scientific name: Medicago sativa
Accepted name (Kew): Medicago sativa L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Fabaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Medicago (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Alfalfa, Yellow alfalfa
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 1.00 m
Spread: 0.50 m
Growth rate: Moderate
Foliage: Deciduous

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 4-8
Soil moisture:
Moist, Well-drained
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves, Oil, Tea, Seed
Edibility rating:
(4)
Medicinal rating:
(4)
Functions:
Carbon farming, Hedge, Nitrogen fixer, Bee forage, Biomass production, Companion plant, Dye, Oil, Paper

Description

The leaves and young shoots of the alfalfa plant can be eaten both raw and cooked. The leaves are very rich in vitamin K and can be dried for later consumption. The young shoots are a good source of vitamins A, B, and C, and also contain proteins. Alfalfa is very nutritious, but consume it in moderation, as large quantities can be toxic. The seeds are usually only used in their sprouted form, for example in salads, on bread, or in soups. To sprout the seeds, they must be soaked in warm water for 12 hours, then kept moist and placed in a warm spot. The seeds will sprout within 4 to 6 days. They can also be ground into a powder and mixed with wheat flour, for example. Tea can be made from the leaves.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 15/05
Harvest ends: 15/09

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 86485; name ID 2368626; Medicago L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 86925; name ID 2369031; Medicago sativa L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Medicago sativa

    Taxonomic data from WCVP-Fabaceae, version 2026, v.7, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. This shares the Kew WCVP evidence base cited on this page.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 611509, ID 3YNPB: Medicago sativa L. (accepted).

    Source checked on .