Creeping-rooted alfalfa plants were studied for rate of spreading when planted in a grid spacing of 1.8 m. One year after planting, only three out of 15 lines displayed 100% creep in all five replicates on the basis of shoot formation. In the second year, all clones of all 15 plant lines had developed above-ground shoots. The range of spread varied from an average of 101 cm for the least spreading line to 176 cm for the strongest spreading line. By the third year they had expanded an additional 27% on the average. The stand density decreased as distance from the center of the plant increased. There were definite differences among creeping-rooted plant lines in rate of spreading ability. In three years most plants had spread horizontally to within each other’s peripheries.