Not surprisingly, because it is a member of the legume family, the sweet, pink-purple blooms of this erect, bushy perennial resemble pea flowers and offer delicate beauty from July to September. Considered an important pollinator plant, Showy Tick Trefoil is also valued for its ability to add nitrogen to the soil and as a food source for birds, mammals, and insects. Legend has it that the “tick” part of the common name of this plant comes from its method of seed distribution by sticking to animals and clothing the way ticks do!