Bird’s Foot Trefoil Seeds

This fascinating little legume is named for the shape of its seedpod which looks like the claw foot of a bird. Introduced for agricultural uses, this wildflower is now a common roadside plant in much of the United States. If often invades lawns, and when mowed along with the grass, will bloom at heights as low as 2 inches! If left to grow on its own, it makes mounded clumps reaching up to about 2 feet, and creating an attractive groundcover. Unlike most agricultural legumes, it does not spread rapidly. However, like yarrow, Birdsfoot Trefoil is best used as a clump or specimen planting, rather than as part of a mixture. If it’s used heavily in a mixture, it’s so tough it tends to take over the whole meadow in a few years.