The common horn 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 flower plant has a very high sugar content in its flower nectar and is therefore often planted by beekeepers as a bee pasture. In addition, due to its high protein content, the summer flowering plant is suitable as a food plant for domestic and farm animals and is used as a medicinal plant due to its calming and antispasmodic properties.
What kind of plant is horn trefoil?
The common horn trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) is a perennial plant that grows on calcareous soils in Europe. With a growth height of 5-30 cm and yellow flowers from May to September, it is a popular pasture for bees and a protein-rich forage plant. In the garden it prefers sunny locations and well-drained soil.
The common horn trefoil at a glance
- Botanical name: Lotus corniculatus
- Genus: Horn trefoil (Lotus)
- Family: Legumes (Fabaceae)
- Popular names: pod clover, common horn trefoil, meadow horn trefoil
- Origin and distribution: Central and Western Europe, Mediterranean regions, Canary Islands
- Location: meadows, roadsides, hedges and bushes, sparse forests. Especially on semi-dry and dry grassland as well as calcareous clay soils.
- Growth habit: herbaceous
- Perennial: yes
- Height: 5 to 30 centimeters
- Flowers: 2-6-flowered, axillary umbel, butterfly-shaped corolla
- Colors: yellow
- Flowering period: May to September
- Fruit: narrow pod, legume
- Leaves: inverted egg-shaped to wedge-shaped, bluish-green underside of leaves, pinnate
- Propagation: seeds, runners
- Winter hardiness: yes (native species)
- Toxicity: no
- Use: medicinal plant, protein-rich fodder plant, bee pasture, summer flower
- Special features: enriches soil with nitrogen, poison for snails
- Harvest time: June to August (flowers)
- Other horn trefoil species: Alpine horn trefoil (Lotus alpinus), swamp horn trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus), narrow-leaved horn trefoil (Lotus tenuis), hairy horn trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), spotted horn trefoil (Lotus maculatus), Canary horn trefoil (Lotus berthelotii), bog trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus)
- Danger of confusion: Horned sorrel (Oxalis corniculata), meadow pea (Lathyrus pratensis), horseshoe trefoil (Hippocrepis comosa)
Horn clover in the garden
Horn clover is a very low-growing small perennial that spreads over a large area over time. The plant feels most comfortable in sunny locations - the sunnier, the more lush the bright flowers are. The soil should be very permeable, moderately nutrient-rich and calcareous, with horn clover proliferating particularly in rock gardens and unfortunately also in lawns. In addition, some types of horn clover can also be kept in planters (e.g. in hanging baskets). This type of cultivation is particularly suitable for non-hardy Mediterranean species such as Canarian horn trefoil.
Tip
Traditionally, horn trefoil is planted primarily as a pasture for bees. 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 its high protein content, horn trefoil is also often grown as a fodder plant, for example in cattle farming. Its medicinal properties were only discovered by chance in the 19th century, and since then the flowers of common horn trefoil have been used in natural medicine.