Panicled Tick Trefoil is one of those "survivor" plants. In other words, if you get it, it's hard to get rid of it. It actually thrives on disturbed sites, and it prefers disturbance from wildfires and selective logging.
The caterpillars of many butterflies feed on the leaves, such as Silver-Spotted Skipper, Hoary Edge, both the Southern and Northern Cloudywing, and the Eastern Tailed Blue. The caterpillars of the Gray Hairstreak feed on the flowers and juvenile seedpods. The seeds are eaten by Wild Turkey, Quail, Deer Mouse, and White-Footed mouse, and the foliage is eaten by White Tailed Deer and other hoofed herbivorous mammals. Cotton tailed rabbits eat the foliage.

The Houma Indians of Louisiana would steep the roots in whiskey to treat cramps and weakness.

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Aside from the annoying sticky seed pods that end up on your pets and your clothes, this plant is quite useful.
Food for wildlife including Bobwhites and wild turkeys; browsed by deer, rabbits and other herbivores, even horses and cattle.

Desmodiums are in the bean family and, like other legumes, they actually put nitrogen into the soil, which is beneficial to other plants.

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