alfalfa

American  

[al-fal-fuh] / ælˈfæl fə /

noun

1. a plant, Medicago sativa, of the legume family, usually having bluish-purple flowers, originating in western Asia and widely cultivated as a forage crop.

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alfalfa British  

/ ælˈfælfə /

noun

1. Also called: lucerne.  a leguminous plant, Medicago sativa, of Europe and Asia, having compound leaves with three leaflets and clusters of small purplish flowers. It is widely cultivated for forage and as a nitrogen fixer and used as a commercial source of chlorophyll

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Etymology

Origin of alfalfa

First recorded in 1835–45; from Spanish, variant of alfalfez, from Spanish Arabic al “the” + faṣfaṣah from Persian ispist “lucerne”

Example Sentences

There, instead of burial or cremation, bodies are placed in a sealed vessel containing organic matter such as alfalfa, straw and wood chips.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

The two farms plant a large variety of crops, including nuts, corn, wheat, cotton, alfalfa and fruits and vegetables — all needing a variety of fertilizers and other nutrients.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

In farming areas of Saudi Arabia, groundwater levels have risen since the country began phasing out water-intensive alfalfa and other hay crops.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 21, 2026

Walnut trees and alfalfa are two of the main crops in Chihuahua's Rio Conchos Valley, both of which require a lot of watering – walnut trees need on average 250 litres a day.

From BBC • Jul. 13, 2025

Several hundred species of wild bees take part in the pollination of cultivated crops — 100 species visiting the flowers of alfalfa alone.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson