Summary ²

Lotus corniculatus is a common flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to grassland in temperate Eurasia and North Africa. Common names include common bird's-foot trefoil and just bird's-foot trefoil, though the common name is often also applied to other members of the genus. It is also known in cultivation in North America as bird's-foot deervetch.

Description ³

Family:
Fabaceae (Pea)

Height:
6 to 24 inches

Leaves:
Alternate, with 3 oval leaflets and two additional leaflets towards the base

Flower:
Irregular, bright yellow flowers with fine red lines in clusters of 2 to 6 on 2 to 4 inch stalks

Bloom time:
June-September

Nicknames:
Birdfoot Deervetch

Habitat:
Meadows, lawns, roadsides, other disturbed areas

Can I plant this in my garden?
No, birds-foot trefoil is non-native plant that has spread extensively throughout Minnesota. It can be spot-sprayed with the herbicide clopyralid, or cut back when flowering to prevent it from seeding.

References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/birds-foot-trefoil

Range ³

Sources and Credits

1. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
2. Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_corniculatus
3. (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

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