# bird's-foot trefoil (*Lotus corniculatus*) Bird's-foot trefoil is a cheerful yellow flower that looks like a little bird's foot! It grows close to the ground and can be found in fields and meadows, adding bright colors to nature. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 33 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![bird's-foot trefoil](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/%28MHNT%29_Lotus_corniculatus_-_Plant_habit.jpg&width=800) Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%28MHNT%29_Lotus_corniculatus_-_Plant_habit.jpg) ## Appearance The bird's-foot trefoil is a low-growing plant with slender stems and clusters of small, bright yellow to orange-red flowers. Its leaves are divided into three small oval leaflets, and the distinctive seed pods resemble a bird's foot, giving the plant its name. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fabales - **Family:** Fabaceae - **Genus:** Lotus ## Interesting facts - Ancient Romans used bird's-foot trefoil as a valuable plant for feeding their livestock. - Bird's-foot trefoil can grow in tough places like sandy soil or rocky ground where other plants struggle! - In some places, people call this flower 'bacon and eggs' because of its yellow and orange colors! - Its unique flowers are a favorite landing pad for many different kinds of bees and butterflies. ## Special abilities - **Nitrogen Factory:** Bird's-foot trefoil can take nitrogen from the air and put it into the soil, helping itself and other plants grow strong. - **Drought Buster:** Bird's-foot trefoil has deep roots that allow it to find water far underground, helping it survive dry spells when other plants wilt. - **Seed Sprinter:** Its mature seed pods twist and snap open forcefully, flinging tiny seeds far away to spread new plants! ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-60 cm - **Spread:** 20-100 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.8-1.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen from flowers - **Symbiotic with:** Nitrogen-fixing bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — lives in root nodules, provides nitrogen - **Eaten by:** Six-spot Burnet moth (*Zygaena filipendulae*) — larvae feed on leaves - **Eaten by:** Domestic sheep (*Ovis aries*) — grazes on foliage as forage ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low It's safe to touch and look at these flowers, but remember to be gentle with all plants. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify bird's-foot trefoil? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is bird's-foot trefoil? 10-60 cm ### How wide does bird's-foot trefoil spread? 20-100 cm ### How big are the flowers on bird's-foot trefoil? 0.8-1.5 cm ### When does bird's-foot trefoil bloom? Late spring to early fall ### Is bird's-foot trefoil edible? Yes ### Is bird's-foot trefoil toxic? Mild ### What is bird's-foot trefoil's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Ames Nowell State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ames-nowell-state-park) — Massachusetts, US · State Park - [Blackstone Boulevard–Cole Avenue–Grotto Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackstone-boulevard-cole-avenue-grotto-avenue-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Brandon Road Lock and Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brandon-road-lock-and-dam) — Illinois, US · Historic Site - [Cedarmere-Clayton Estates](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cedarmere-clayton-estates) — New York, US · Historic District - [Greenfield Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/greenfield-park) — Wisconsin, US · Park - [Hickory Hill Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hickory-hill-park) — Iowa, US · Nature Reserve [View all places to see bird's-foot trefoil](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/birds-foot-trefoil) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Bird's-foot Trefoil: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/birds-foot-trefoil)