Pollinator plant

Alfalfa

Medicago sativa

Linked agroforestry plant data
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Common names

57 names · 40 languages
EnglishYour language
+1 more nameShow fewer names
  • Yellow alfalfa
Other languages (39)
Dutch
French
Afrikaans
Arabic
  • برسيم حجازي[2]
  • فصة معمرة[2]
  • فصفصة[2]
Arapaho
  • niisniikou'usei'i[2]
Armenian
  • Առվույտ[2]
Belarusian
  • Люцэрна пасяўная або сіняя[2]
Catalan
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Croatian
Czech
  • tolice vojtěška[2]
Danish
Estonian
  • harilik lutsern[2]
Finnish
  • sinimailanen[2]
German
Greek
  • Τριφύλλι Αλφάλφα[2]
Hebrew
  • אספסת תרבותית[2]
Hungarian
  • takarmánylucerna[2]
Italian
Japanese
  • アルファルファ[2]
  • ムラサキウマゴヤシ[2]
Korean
  • 자주개자리[2]
Latvian
  • Sējas lucerna[2]
Lithuanian
  • Mėlynžiedė liucerna[2]
Malay
Mono
Norwegian
  • blålusern[2]
Polish
  • Lucerna siewna[2]
Portuguese
Russian
  • Люцерна посевная[2]
Serbian
  • Луцерка[2]
Slovak
  • lucerna siata[2]
Slovenian
Spanish
Swedish
  • foderlusern[2]
Turkish
  • alfaalfa[2]
  • Kara Yonca (Şark Yoncası)[2]
  • Karayonca[2]
Ukrainian
  • Люцерна посівна[2]
Welsh
Zapoteco
  • coba-picina-xi-castilla[2]
Sources & name notes (2)

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

Catalogue language labels are reviewed separately from botanical source records.

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. This is a common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Alfalfa — results[1].names[1]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Luzerne — results[1].names[27]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Luzerne — results[1].names[9]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Luzerne — results[1].names[15]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Lucerne — results[1].names[7]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • afarfa — results[1].names[29]; 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.
  • Alfalfa — results[1].names[22]; 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.
  • Alfafa — results[1].names[10]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Alfalfa — results[1].names[12]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Luzerna — results[1].names[11]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
[2] 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.
  • Luzerne — results[1].names[27]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Luzerne — results[1].names[9]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Luzerne — results[1].names[15]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Lucerne — results[1].names[7]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • afarfa — results[1].names[29]; 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.
  • Alfalfa — results[1].names[22]; 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.
  • Alfafa — results[1].names[10]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Alfalfa — results[1].names[12]; taxon id 57057; Medicago sativa.
  • Luzerna — results[1].names[11]; 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.
  • sinimailanen — results[1].names[8]; 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Lucerne — results[1].names[28]; 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.
Plant references

Source-backed information

Published observations for this plant. Each reference supports the information beside it.

Taxonomy
Medicago sativa is an accepted species in Catalogue of Life.

Taxonomic treatment in the August 2026 release; the catalogue record name is preserved.

Sources [1]
Botanical family
Fabaceae

Family in the cited taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1]
Native range
Medit. to C. Asia and Iran.

Explicit native locality records in Kew WCVP v16; introduced and doubtful distributions excluded. Continent conversion follows the documented geographic mapping.

Sources [2]
Catalogue ratings

Who this plant supports

Honey bees

Medium suitability
Nectar value Medium
Pollen value Medium
Agroforestry database

Complete plant information

Open full plant profile

Structure

Vegetation layer
Herbaceous
Size
Small
Dimensions
1.00 m high × 0.50 m wide
Growth rate
Moderate
Lifecycle
Perennial
Foliage
Deciduous

Site conditions

USDA hardiness
4-8
Moisture
Moist, Well-drained
Soil
Sandy, Loamy, Clay
pH
Acid, Neutral, Alkaline
Light
Sun

Uses

Edible parts
Leaves, Oil, Tea, Seed
Functions
Carbon farming, Hedge, Nitrogen fixer, Pollinator plant, Biomass, Companion planting, Dye, Oil, Paper
Edibility
4 out of 5
Medicinal value
4 out of 5

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.

Sources and references

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

Sources checked
  1. Catalogue of Life Medicago sativa — Catalogue of Life COL26.8

    COL26.8 (2026-08-20). Contributing checklist: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP): Fabaceae. This is taxonomic evidence, not an independent ecological study.

    Supports: TaxonomyBotanical family
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: NameUsage.tsv line 611509; ID 3YNPB; rank species; status accepted
    • Botanical family: NameUsage.tsv line 611509; ID 3YNPB; rank species; status accepted

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 4.0.

  2. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Medicago sativa — Kew WCVP native distribution

    Native distribution and taxonomic treatment from the official WCVP v16 export (4 June 2026). The link opens the corresponding POWO taxon. Source rows are retained in the native-range audit archive.

    Supports: Native range
    Relevant sections
    • Native range: WCVP v16; wcvp_names.csv lines 86925; wcvp_distribution.csv native locality lines 796862, 796869, 796874, 796877, 796884, 796888, 796913, 796914, 796915, 796916, 796917, 796918, 796919, 796923, 796924, 796928

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.