Medicago sativa, commonly known as alfalfa in North America and lucerne in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, is a perennial flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae.
Native to warmer temperate climates, alfalfa has long been cultivated as livestock fodder, perhaps since antiquity. It is an important forage crop in many countries around the world and is used for grazing, hay, and silage.
