Alfalfa

Family	Pea or Bean (Fabaceae)
Bloom	Spring, summer, fall
Habitat	Dry, sun, fields, roadsides
Status	Non-Native
Cycle	Perennial
Height	1-3′
Flower	Tight spike clusters of blue flowers 1-2 inches long with individual flowers 1/4″ with one large upper petal and 3 smaller lower petals.
Leaf	3-part clover-like leaf, 1-2″ long
Notes	Usually found along roads or in fields where it escaped cultivation. Alfalfa is often planted by farmers as a food crop for dairy and beef cattle and to improve soil fertility. As a legume, it fixes nitrogen from the air into the soil through its roots. Flowers range in color from light blue to purple.

Photos