Birdsfoot Trefoil

Lotus corniculatus (Legumes)

Birdsfoot Trefoil is a long-lived perennial legume ideally suited for many grass-legume pastures in Missouri. It grows and produces forage during July and August when most cool-season grasses are semi-dormant. Trefoil does not cause bloat, as do many other commonly used legumes.

A combination of trefoil and bluegrass or other cool-season grasses will produce three times as much feed as unimproved grass. Even heavily fertilized grass will produce one-third less beef per acre than a trefoil-bluegrass combination.

Other benefits from introducing trefoil into grass pastures include 30 percent higher daily gains by the grazing animals and more uniform distribution of forage production. Trefoil makes 60 percent of its production during June, July and August.

	Long-lived perennial legume
	Good forage for livestock
	Tough and resilient

Height 12-15 Inches

Spread 8-12 Inches

Interesting Notes Trefoil is better suited to controlled continuous grazing than alfalfa or many other legumes. It is basically different in the way it assimilates stored energy or root reserves. Trefoil and alfalfa initiate their first spring growth from stored energy in their root systems. After the growth is removed, alfalfa will replenish its root reserve in about 35 to 45 days throughout the growing season. Trefoil is noticeably different; it does not replenish its root reserves until fall and must depend upon photosynthesis from its leaves to supply energy for all of its regrowth during the late spring and summer. After about the first of September, trefoil once again will attempt to build up its root reserves that have been depleted since the first spring growth.

Characteristics & Attributes

Attributes Ground Cover Mass Planting	Exposure Sun	Other Characteristics Easy-to-establish Cattle Forage	Season of Interest (Flowering) Summer
Soil Moisture Preference Dry Average