Bird's-foot Trefoil
Lotus corniculatus
Bird's-foot Trefoil is a perennial for edging, groundcover, suited to full sun and loam, sandy soil or chalk, flowering May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep.
| Type | Perennial |
|---|---|
| Mature height | 20 cm |
| Spread | 35 cm |
| Aspect | full sun |
| Foliage | Deciduous |
| Hardiness | USDA 5a-9a, RHS H7 |
| Pollinator-friendly | Yes |
| Pet-safe | No |
Where to use it in a border
At around 20 cm, it sits best along the front edge, where a low, spreading habit reads best. Give it about 35 cm of room to spread, roughly 3 to the metre when planted in a drift. It is hardy across USDA zones 5a to 9a and rated H7 by the RHS, so check it suits your area before planting.
It appears in our lists of full sun, sandy soil, chalk soil, pollinator-friendly plants.
Border Builder uses Bird's-foot Trefoil's height, spread, soil, bloom months and companions to place it in a full border plan for your own conditions, on iPhone and iPad.
Flowering through the year
Worth knowing
- Not recorded as pet-safe; site it away from pets that graze if that matters to you.
- Its flowers are valued by bees and other pollinators.
Good companions
Plants that share its conditions and style, chosen to complement its place in the border:
- Aromatic Asterto edge in front
- Black-Eyed Susanto flower when it does not
- Blue Mistflowerto edge in front
- Blue Sageto flower when it does not
- Brown-Eyed Susanto flower when it does not
- Common Sneezeweedfor height behind it