Common Bird's-foot-trefoil - Lotus corniculatus

Alternative names
Birdsfoot-trefoil
Description

Variable but usually 10 to 20 cm in height, rather sprawling with a solid, woody stem at the base. Flowers yellow or orangey, sometimes tinged red, especially when just emerging. 10 to 16 mm in clusters of 2 to 7. Seed pod 15 to 30 mm straight.

Similar Species

Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus) and Narrow-leaved Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus tenuis)

Identification difficulty
ID guidance

Solid stems and obtuse angle between the upper two calyx teeth (i.e more than a right-angle) distinguish it from Greater Bird's-foot Trefoil (which is usually larger, hairier, taller and found in marshy places).  Narrow-leaved Bird's-foot trefoil is uncommon in VC55 and very similar in flower but has leaflets that are mostly >4 times as long as wide; Common Bird's-foot trefoil leaflets are mostly <3 times as long as wide. 

Habitat

Short grassy habitats, road verges, etc.

When to see it

May to September.

Life History

Perennial.

UK Status

Very common throughout Britain.

VC55 Status

Very common in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 553 of the 617 tetrads.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Common Bird's-foot-trefoil
Species group:
Wildflowers
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Fabales
Family:
Fabaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
454
First record:
01/07/1998 (John Mousley)
Last record:
24/08/2023 (O'Brien, Helen)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records