Alfalfa is a deciduous shrub and belongs to one of the leguminous plants. Its height is usually between 1m ~ 3m, the branches are brown or reddish brown, the leaves are pinnately compound with 3 leaflets, and 15 varies. Flowers are yellow or light yellow, racemes, and each flower has 5 petals. The fruit is pod-shaped, oblate or rectangular, with several seeds in it.
Alfalfa likes to grow in an environment with abundant sunshine, good drainage and fertile soil. Cold tolerance, drought tolerance, barren tolerance, strong adaptability, can grow in different climatic conditions. In China, it is mainly distributed in Northeast China, North China and Northwest China.
Although alfalfa is not an ordinary plant, it has many uses. First of all, it is one of the nectar plants, which can attract bees and other insects to collect nectar. Secondly, its leaves and seeds can be used as feed for poultry and livestock. In addition, its branches and leaves can also be used to make herbs and spices.
Although alfalfa is not a common word in culture, people like to use it to describe some beautiful things in some areas. For example, "alfalfa grassland" is used to describe the open, beautiful and pleasant grassland. In addition, some poems and songs also use alfalfa to express their love and yearning for nature.
The leaves and seeds of alfalfa are rich in nutrients such as protein, minerals and vitamins, which can be used as raw materials for human food and animal feed. Especially in some poor areas, people will collect alfalfa leaves and seeds to supplement food sources.
Alfalfa also plays an important role in the ecosystem. It is the habitat and food source of many insects, especially for some rare and endangered insect species, alfalfa is one of their important habitats. In addition, alfalfa can also be used as a ground cover plant to maintain soil and water and prevent soil erosion.
In some traditional medicine, alfalfa is used to treat some diseases. For example, in some areas, it is believed that liquid medicine boiled with alfalfa leaves and seeds can treat cough and cold. Although these medicinal effects need scientific verification, it shows the important role of alfalfa in nature.