Birdsfoot Trefoil

This little member of the Pea family is a weedy groundcover found along roadsides throughout the Northwest. It is blooming now and you have to stoop down and get close to appreciate the unique shape and colors if this plant. Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) is toxic and comes from Europe. These were captured at Jackson Bottom Wetlands on 6/14/2013.

What fascinated me, is the progression of colors the blooms display as they mature. They start red, turn orange as they emerge, and finally become bright yellow when fully open. Both the blossoms and the tiny leaves resemble a bird foot, hence the common name. Also called Lotus, Bacon and Eggs, and Deervetch. In fact, there are 70 to 150 other similar species that fall under the Lotus genus.

In Oregon, the closely related Coastal Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus formosissimus) has yellow and purple blossoms; it grows mainly near the coast in moist areas.