Greater bird's-foot-trefoil.

At a glance

Care level

Easy

Plant type

Perennial herb

Light

Full sun to partial shade

Indoor light

Direct sun

Water

Every 2 to 5 days

Mature size

20 to 50 cm

Growth rate

Medium

Hardiness

USDA 5 to 9

Bloom time

Late spring to mid summer

Care

Keep the soil consistently moist to mimic its natural wetland habitat. Watch for wilting, which indicates the soil has dried out too much. It's a hardy plant that doesn't need much fuss as long as it has enough water.

Watering

Keep the soil damp at all times, as this plant prefers wet conditions.

Feeding

Generally doesn't need much feeding, but a light application in spring can help.

Pruning

Trim back after flowering to keep the plant tidy and encourage fresh growth.

Repotting

Repot if the plant becomes root bound or if you want to divide it for propagation.

Soil

Moist, heavy, or clay soils

Soil pH

Acidic to neutral

Temperature

-29 to 30°C

Humidity

40 to 80%

Drought tolerance

Low

Lifespan

Perennial, typically 3 to 5 years.

Deer and rabbits

Moderate

Safety

People

All parts of the plant are considered toxic if ingested due to the presence of hydrogen cyanide precursors.

Children

Keep children away from the plant as ingestion of the leaves or flowers can cause illness.

Contact allergens

Handling the foliage may cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals.

Airborne allergens

Pollen may cause mild seasonal allergy symptoms in some people.

Edibility

The plant contains cyanogenic glycosides and should not be eaten by humans, although it is widely grown as a forage legume and grazed by livestock without problems.

How to identify it

• Clusters of bright yellow flowers
• Hollow, upright stems
• Compound leaves with five leaflets
• Spreading growth habit

Height

0.15 to 0.5m

Spread

0.3 to 1m

Leaves

green, deciduous

Flowers

yellow, 1 to 2cm

Fruit

brown, late summer

Problems to watch for

• Aphids · Small insects that cluster on new growth and suck plant sap.

Growing it

Propagation

seed, division

When to plant

spring, autumn

Overwintering

The foliage will die back naturally in winter. Simply clear away the dead stems in early spring to make room for new growth.

In containers

It is not typically grown in containers due to its spreading habit.

Plant this in areas where you need to improve soil nitrogen levels naturally.

Grows well with

• Purple Moor Grass · They both thrive in the same damp, acidic meadow conditions.
• Meadowsweet · This plant provides a nice structural contrast in wet garden areas.

Similar species

• Common Bird's Foot Trefoil · It is a smaller, more drought tolerant relative.

Science

Family

Fabaceae

Genus

Lotus

Order

Fabales

Class

Magnoliopsida

Native range

Europe, Western Asia, and North Africa.

Conservation

This plant is common and not of conservation concern.

It grows in damp grasslands and marshes, using its deep roots to survive seasonal flooding.

Value to wildlife

nectar source, larval host plant

Pollinators

bees, butterflies

Uses

ground cover, soil improvement, meadow planting

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Does it like wet soil?

Yes, it is very tolerant of damp, boggy conditions.

Is it invasive?

It can spread aggressively by rhizomes in ideal conditions.

Where the name comes from

The name Lotus is an ancient Greek term for various plants, while pedunculatus refers to the long flower stalks.

Good to know

• It is often called greater bird's foot trefoil because of its larger size compared to common bird's foot trefoil.
• The flowers turn orange as they age.
• It is an excellent plant for stabilizing damp banks.