Medicago sativa

A soft-looking, spreading perennial that has small blue-green leaves that are held in threes and little clusters of blue pea flowers, followed by sickle-shaped brown pods. This is a legume, alfalfa. It has the ability to fix nitrogen from the air into its root nodules. It is often grown as green manure and cut down, and the roots ploughed back into the soil to improve its nutrients. It has minor use as an ornamental, but has untidy ways and there is a lot of foliage to flower. However, spilling over a low wall or from a raised bed it has an appeal. It is often used as a sprouting seed, or the leaves are eaten, either raw or cooked. It has a number of medicinal uses and treats a range of disorders from hormone imbalance to anaemia and haemorrhage. It is nutrient-rich and provides vitamin K among other things. As with many plants there are a number of contra-indications for its use. As a medicine it should only be taken with medical supervision.