Showy Tick Trefoli is a legume found in wet to dry prairies in rich, loamy soil. It has hairy, compound leaves. The flowers are a light purple color and bloom profusely for nearly a month in mid-summer. The seed pods are covered with tiny hairs that cause them to cling to clothing and fur in order to spread the seed to new areas. It is commonly found with Dalea purpurea, Heuchera richardsoni, and Sporobolus heterlopis in praires, and with Carex stricta, Pycnanthemum virginianum, and Silphium perfoliatum in fens; and with Coreopsis lanceolata, Lespdeza hirta, and Symphyotrichum oolentangiense in savannas. It is popular with bees and moths.