Birdsfoot trefoil is a small, delicate looking yellow wildflower in the pea family. But don’t let it fool you, this little flower is one tough cookie. It has a long bloom period, beginning early summer and extending through the first frost. If it sprouts up on your lawn, good luck getting rid of it. You’d have to destroy the root system. Mowing it down only shortens the height, as birdsfoot will continue to flower. Might we all be so strong as the mighty little trefoil?
Other Names
Birdfoot deervetch
Bacon and eggs
Dutchman’s clogs
Lady’s slippers
Identification
Birdsfoot trefoil is an herbaceous perennial legume that reproduces by seed, rhizomes, and runners.
HEIGHT 6 – 24″ (unless mowed!)
STEMS slender, branching, moderately leafy
LEAVES smooth, divided into 5 leaflets, alternate, pinnately compound
BLOOM yellow and sometimes streaked with red, clusters at the top of the stem grow in a whorl
Season
June through the first frost
Habitat
Disturbed areas
Fields
Grassy areas
Prairies
Roadside
Waste areas
Full sun to light shade
Droughty, dry, or moist soil
Range
Native to northern Africa, Europe, Mediterranean basin, and parts of Eurasia. Introduced to South America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and USA where it is an invasive weed.
Notes
Birdsfoot trefoil is a wild food for Canada geese, deer, elk, and other pasture animals.
Sources USDA Plants: http://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_loco6.pdf USDA Plants: http://plants/usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=loco6 US Weed of the Week: http://na/fs/fed/us/fhp/invasive_plants/weeds/birds-foot-trefoil.pdf Department of Agriculture & Food Australia: http://www.agric/wa/gov/au/objtwr/imported_assets/content/past/birdsfoot%20trefoil.pdf
As my fairly untended yard seems a perfect setting for this, I’ll be on the lookout! It’s a lovely flower, as so many invasives are.
It sure is… do you have a favorite? I love finding deptford pinks!