Bird's-foot-trefoil, Greater

Information on Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil

Common Name: Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil
Scientific Name: Lotus pedunculatus
Irish Name: Crobh éin corraigh
Family Group: Fabaceae
Distribution: View Map (Courtesy of the BSBI)
Flowering Period


Click for list of all flowering by month
Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil could sometimes be confused with:

Bird's-foot-trefoil, Common,

Greater Bird's-foot-trefoil is a robust, usually hairy plant with clusters of bright yellow pea-flowers very similar to Lotus corniculatus. The distinction between them is that in the clusters of 10–12 mm long flowers, there can be as many as twelve, borne on erect, hollow stems. They bloom from June to August, the plant reaching a height of 50 cm at times. The pinnate leaves have five, blue/green leaflets which are greyish beneath. Not quite as abundant as Lotus corniculatus, Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil is a native plant and it belongs to the Fabaceae family

I first identified this plant in Gibletstown, Co Wexford in 2006 and photographed it at that time.   

If you are satisfied you have correctly identified this plant, please submit your sighting to the National Biodiversity Data Centre

In France Bird's-foot Trefoil is known as 'Sabots de Bon Dieu' or Good Lord's Shoes .        

Bird's-foot-trefoil, Greater
Bird's-foot-trefoil, Greater
Bird's-foot-trefoil, Greater
Bird's-foot-trefoil, Greater