The common or common trefoil is a very variable plant that grows in various forms almost everywhere in Europe, preferably on calcareous dry and poor grassland. The bright yellow flowering butterfly blossom plant has a very high sugar content in its flower nectar and is therefore often planted by beekeepers as bee pasture. In addition, the summer bloomer is suitable as a fodder plant for pets and farm animals due to its high protein content and is used as a medicinal plant because of its calming and antispasmodic properties.
Horn clover is a decorative medicinal and fodder plant
The common trefoil at a glance
- Botanical name: Lotus corniculatus
- Genus: Horntrefoil (Lotus)
- Family: Legumes (Fabaceae)
- Common names: pod clover, common trefoil, meadow trefoil
- Origin and distribution: Central and Western Europe, Mediterranean regions, Canary Islands
- Location: Meadows, roadsides, hedges and bushes, sparse forests. Mainly on semi-arid and dry grassland and calcareous clay soils.
- Growth form: herbaceous
- Perennial: yes
- Height: 5 to 30 centimeters
- Flowers: 2-6-flowered, axillary umbels, butterfly-shaped corolla
- Colours: yellow
- Flowering period: May to September
- Fruit: narrow pod, legume
- Foliage: obovate to wedge-shaped, bluish-green underside, pinnate
- Propagation: seeds, runners
- Hardiness: yes (native species)
- Toxicity: no
- Use: Medicinal plant, protein-rich forage plant, bee pasture, summer flower
- Special features: enriches the soil with nitrogen, poisonous to snails
- Harvest time: June to August (flowering)
- Other trefoil species: Alpine trefoil (Lotus alpinus), swamp trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus), narrow-leaved trefoil (Lotus tenuis), hairy trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), spotted trefoil (Lotus maculatus), canary trefoil (Lotus berthelotii), swamp - Horned clover (Lotus pedunculatus)
- Risk of confusion: horn sorrel (Oxalis corniculata), meadow vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis), horseshoe vetch (Hippocrepis comosa)
Horn clover in the garden
Horn clover is a fairly low-growing small perennial that spreads out over time. The plant feels most comfortable in sunny locations - the sunnier it is, the more lush the bright flowers will be. The soil should be very permeable, moderately nutrient-rich and calcareous, whereby Horntrefoil proliferates diligently, especially in rock gardens and unfortunately also in lawns. In addition, some species of horn clover can also be kept in planters (e.g. in traffic lights). This type of cultivation is particularly suitable for the non-hardy Mediterranean species such as the Canary trefoil.
tips
Horn clover is traditionally planted primarily as bee pasture. The flower nectar contains a very high sugar content of around 40 percent, and the plant also has a very long flowering period. Due to the high protein content, trefoil is also often cultivated as a fodder plant, for example in the course of cattle farming. Its medicinal properties were only discovered by chance in the 19th century, since then the flowers of the common trefoil have been used in naturopathy.