Narrowleaf Bird’s-Foot Trefoil
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(Lotus tenuis)
Narrowleaf Bird’s-Foot Trefoil (Lotus tenuis)
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Patrick Hacker
CC BY 4.0
Image By:
Patrick Hacker
Recorded By:
Copyright:
CC BY 4.0
Copyright Notice:
Photo by: Patrick Hacker | License Type: CC BY 4.0 | License URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | Rights Holder: Patrick Hacker | Publisher: iNaturalist | Date Created: 2021-09-18T11:53:08-07:00 |
Summary
Lotus tenuis, commonly known as Narrowleaf Bird’s-foot Trefoil, is a perennial herb in the pea family, native to temperate grasslands, meadows, and roadsides in Europe and Asia. It typically grows to a height of 10-50 cm and spreads to form a low mat. The plant features delicate, narrow leaves and produces small, yellow pea-like flowers from late spring to late summer, which are moderately showy and attract pollinators. The stems can root at the nodes, allowing the plant to spread effectively.
Narrowleaf Bird’s-foot Trefoil is valued for its nitrogen-fixing ability, which can improve soil fertility, and its resilience to poor soil conditions, making it useful for erosion control and as a forage plant in agriculture. It is also used in ornamental plantings for ground cover and in wildflower meadows. In cultivation, it prefers full sun to partial shade and can tolerate a range of soil types, provided they are well-drained. Gardeners should be cautious, as Lotus tenuis can become invasive outside its native range, especially in similar temperate climates.CC BY-SA 4.0
Narrowleaf Bird’s-foot Trefoil is valued for its nitrogen-fixing ability, which can improve soil fertility, and its resilience to poor soil conditions, making it useful for erosion control and as a forage plant in agriculture. It is also used in ornamental plantings for ground cover and in wildflower meadows. In cultivation, it prefers full sun to partial shade and can tolerate a range of soil types, provided they are well-drained. Gardeners should be cautious, as Lotus tenuis can become invasive outside its native range, especially in similar temperate climates.CC BY-SA 4.0
Plant Description
- Plant Type: Herb
- Height: 0.5-1.5 feet
- Width: 1-2 feet
- Growth Rate: Moderate, Slow
- Flower Color: Yellow
- Flowering Season: Spring, Summer
- Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Growth Requirements
- Sun: Full Sun, Part Shade
- Drainage: Fast, Medium, Slow
Common Uses
Drought Tolerant, Low Maintenance, Salt Tolerant
Natural Habitat
Temperate grasslands, meadows, and roadsides in western and southern Europe and southwest Asia
Other Names
Common Names: Creeping trefoil, Narrowleaf Bird’s-Foot Trefoil, Slender Trefoil, Lâdvenec Tonkij, Watari-Miyakogusa, Xi Ye Bai Mai Gen
Scientific Names: Lotus tenuis, Dorycnium iberecum, Lotos glaber subsp. tenuifolius, Lotus acutus, Lotus acutus, Lotus campestris, Lotus corniculatus f. tenuifolius, Lotus corniculatus subsp. tenuifolis, Lotus corniculatus subsp. tenuifolius, Lotus corniculatus subsp. tenuifolius
GBIF Accepted Name: Lotus tenuis