Alfalfa Leaf Cut

Health Benefits

There is a long list of traditional uses of alfalfa as a medicinal herb. They include lowering blood pressure, acting as a diuretic, increasing breast milk production, treating arthritis, and getting rid of kidney stones.

Spiritual Benefits

Prosperity, protection, and good fortune.

Traditions & Symbolism

The earliest clear reference to alfalfa was in Turkish writings dating from 1300 B.C. However, at least one historian believes it is probable that alfalfa was cultivated 8,000 to 9,000 years ago (6,000 to 7,000 B.C.). Regardless, it is clear that alfalfa was recognized as a valuable crop by early man.

1. Alfalfa has been domesticated for approximately 6,000 years. Some of the oldest remains were found in Iran.
2. The name alfalfa comes from Arabic words meaning best horse fodder or horsepower.
3. In every pound of alfalfa, you will find 200,000 seeds.
4. Honey is made from alfalfa. It is the flowers on the alfalfa plant that help to make honey.
5. Over 130 bird species visit alfalfa fields.
6. The alfalfa crops can be cut up to 11 times and can last in the field 25 years.
7. Alfalfa is often fed to zoo animals.
8. Some endangered species, and hundreds of other animals, use alfalfa for their habitat.
9. The early colonists, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, grew a few acres of alfalfa on their farms but it wasn’t widely grown in the United States until 1849.
10. The U.S. produces over 57 million tons of alfalfa each year. California is the largest producer of alfalfa in the United States, followed by Idaho and Montana.