Single Record
Participant Info
- Species
- Medicago sativa [Medicago falcata]
- Family
- Fabaceae
- CommonName
- alfalfa, lucerne
- Presence
- Yes
- Status
- exotic
- EarliestDate
- 1932
- LatestDate
- 2021
- Ecosystem
- foothill, montane, ruderal, urban
- Geobotanical
- SSawatch, Garitas, SSanjuans, NCristos, UBasin, LBasin
- Counties
- Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache
- Passes
- WildlifePreserves
- Other Localities
- Alamosa (town), Del Norte
- PhotoRecords
- YES Rich Haswell: streetside, Del Norte 1 May 2021; albino form Del Norte, street side 22 June 2018
- Comments
- In the Watershed, alfalfa is cultivated everywhere as a commercial or fodder crop, and has escaped and for a long time has been well established in town lawns and street sides, also along roads, ditches, rest areas, etc. In 1932 Francis Ramalay described it as a "common escape" in and around the town of Alamosa. Medicago sativa is perennial, deep-rooted, and not easy to eradicate—a common story in every state of the USA. Note that the species is usually absent from lists of "invasive" plants, probably because the parent of such lists is often state departments of agriculture with an interest in supporting commercial crops.
- Annotation