Plant · P-089

Birdsfoot Trefoil

Lotus corniculatus

Birdsfoot Trefoil is a nitrogen-fixing legume prized among forage growers for one rare trait: it does not cause bloat in grazing ruminants the way clover and alfalfa can. Its condensed tannins also cut methane and ammonia output, and rabbits take it as readily as livestock do. It grows only in the cool season - autumn, winter and spring - and goes fully dormant through summer heat, so a stand typically needs resowing after about two years. Every part contains cyanogenic compounds, but properly cured hay and named low-cyanogen cultivars are safe to feed; only lush, unknown-provenance growth calls for caution.