Crotalaria pallida is an annual diploid self-pollinating plant of the genus Crotalaria in the Fabaceae family. It was described and published by WILLIAM TOWNSEND in 1789. Geographical studies believe that the species originated in the southeastern part of the Africa continent and Madagascar. Biologically, the species have the characteristics of high seed yield, wide adaptability, and fast growth, which makes it widely spread and distributed in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The wide distribution has attracted the attention of ethnobotany and natural science research. It is generally believed that it is an important agricultural plant resource with great development potential in feed development, soil ecological restoration, and medicinal development. However, the utilization of C. pallida has always relied on wild resources, and research on accurate evaluation of germplasm resources, mining of genetic diversity, and breeding of excellent varieties is limited. This article reviews the research progress in the global distribution, biological learning, cultivation technology, feed value evaluation, soil nutrient maintenance, and medicinal value evaluation of C. pallida, and summarizes the current problems and future research directions, aiming to provide an important reference for promoting the research on the utilization.