Bird's foot trefoil

Lotus corniculatus

Sprawling European perennial with bright yellow pea-flowers fading to orange and seed pods arranged like a bird's claws. A meadow staple supporting many butterfly species.

Hardiness ratings

Bird's foot trefoil hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 3–8 −40 °C to −6.7 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H7 down to −20 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 3–8 −34 °C to −1 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 1–4 −15 °C to 5 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Critical larval host plant for the common blue butterfly and dozens of moth species
  • Tolerates poor, compacted, and disturbed soils where other legumes fail
  • Yellow flowers across midsummer are a reliable seasonal marker

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Bird's foot trefoil against your zones

Reference

Bird's foot trefoil on Wikipedia