Desmodium canadense

Topped with pink flowers in midsummer. This nitrogen-fixing plant can adapt to many sites, including nutrient-poor ones. Looks best when planted as a tightly spaced group of plants. Foliage can get powdery mildew, a non-serious leaf disease that can turn foliage white. Tuck behind other plants to hide this. This plant can spread by seed, and seeds can stick to clothes and pets, so place wisely.

Photo by Joshua Mayer.