Dwarf Owls-clover Information

Patch at entrance to 36th Court in 2023.

Patches on both sides of the steps in 2023.

Triphysaria pusilla
Dwarf Owl's-clover
Stem slender, branched, prostrate, with growing tips turned upward. Leaves tiny, lobed many times, often coated with fine purplish or yellow-brown hairs. Tiny flowers hidden among bracts, reddish purple or sometimes yellow, include 3 shallow pouches below hooked beak. Grows in grasslands at low elevations.

Dwarf owl's-clover (Triphysaria pusilla) is a tiny, native annual herb found in moist, open, grassy areas of Western Washington. This hemiparasitic plant, featuring greenish, reddish, or purple stems up to 20 cm, grows in vernal pools and wet meadows.

Invasive plants are among the greatest threats to our landscape as they displace native species and reduce community diversity. Their removal is often complicated, expensive and sometimes harmful to nature. A team of Czech scientists has now come up with a surprising solution – to use the power of nature against the invaders themselves. A study published in the prestigious Journal of Applied Ecology shows that the native hemiparasitic field cow-wheat (Melampyrum arvense) can effectively weaken invasive species without the use of chemicals, achieving long-lasting results.