Lotus corniculatus seed

LATIN NAME: Lotus corniculatus

COMMON NAME: Bird’s-foot Trefoil

The bird’s-foot trefoil is the yellow cluster of the meadow, and the small, pea-like flowers open in the loose heads through the summer. The low, spreading, perennial plant carries the fine, three-parted leaves of the narrow leaflets and the loose heads of the small, bright-yellow, often red-marked, pea-like flowers through the summer, one of the fine, cheerful sights of the meadow. The heads of the pods spread like the bird’s foot, and the plant feeds the soil with the nitrogen. It is a fine, generous presence of the meadow and the pasture. It is a plant of the open, sunny, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The bird’s-foot trefoil is a useful subject of the plant science, and the yellow clusters keep showing up in the work on the meadow legumes. The way the plant feeds the soil with the nitrogen and stands the grazing has been studied steadily, and it keeps appearing in the studies of the forage legumes, the meadow plants and the members of the pea family. The fine, three-parted leaves and the low, spreading habit have also made it a fine study plant, and the bird’s-foot trefoil is a regular subject of the work on the yellow clusters of the cool world.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

The bird’s-foot trefoil is a fine, generous plant of the meadow and the pasture. The loose heads of the small, bright-yellow, often red-marked, pea-like flowers open through the summer, one of the fine, cheerful sights of the meadow, drawing the bees and the butterflies, and the fine, spreading roots hold the soil and feed it with the nitrogen. The plant stands the grazing, the drought and the poor ground with the ease, and it is one of the fine choices for the wildflower meadow, the pasture and the erosion-control planting. It has been written about in the agricultural and the ecological papers for the nitrogen ways and the cheerful heads, and it is a fine, generous plant of the open, sunny, well-drained garden.

Cut the old stems down after the flowers and the fresh, green tufts will come again from the base.

To grow the bird’s-foot trefoil from seed, sow the small, round seeds just under the surface of a tray of fine seed compost, keep the tray in a bright, open spot and water gently, then set the young plants out in the open ground. The seedlings appear within a couple of weeks and grow on steadily. With the sun and the well-drained ground, the yellow clusters will open through the summer.

 

 

 

 

The common name of this familiar plant is a useful guide to its identification. Birdsfoot refers to the radiating seed pods that are said to look like bird’s feet whilst trefoil describes the leaf which is divided into three leaflets. Its other name of Eggs and Bacon is also descriptive as the mature flower is usually the colour of egg yolk whilst the bud is often red.

Establishes relatively easily from seed sown any time of the year. If it is important to have the maximum germination rate in the shortest period of time you could try a light scarification.

This plant is a grassland perennial. This plant is part of the legume family so does well on soils with low nitrogen levels. The flowers are yellow with red buds. The seed pods are said to look like birds feet. It attracts loads of insect.

It is easily grown from seed, to get the best germination a period of light scarification is beneficial

British Wild Flower

Lotus corniculatus

Birdsfoot Trefoil