Lotus corniculatus

The corniculate lotus, in Latin Lotus corniculatus, is one of those modest flowers, formerly used as green manure or as forage plants, which also deserve a place in the ornamental garden where they will attract pollinators and feed bees. It is a perennial subshrub that bears clover-like leaves, evergreen in mild climates, and pretty golden yellow pea flowers gathered in clusters, from spring to the end of summer. Drought-resistant, hardy and undemanding, it requires full sun, but can tolerate all types of dry to moist soils, even compact and chalky. It can be planted in a rockery, above a wall, in a meadow...

Lotus corniculatus belongs to the Fabaceae family. It is a cosmopolitan plant found in meadows, woods, fields and hillsides, throughout Europe. Depending on the region, it is called Pretty Pea, Bird's-foot Trefoil, Horned Trefoil or Horned Clover. It is a woody-based perennial that forms a dense and spreading tuft, with a semi-ascending habit, 10 to 15cm (4 to 6in) in height, spreading at least 30cm (12in). The flowering period is particularly long and bright, attracting bees and delighting both bees and gardeners from May-June to September-October. The pea flowers succeed each other, keeled, ranging in colour from intense yellow to coppery yellow if the plant grows at high altitudes. They are gathered in small clusters. The foliage, semi-evergreen to evergreen, is composed of small leaves, with 5 rounded leaflets of a lovely bright green. Like clover, these leaves have a particular arrangement: they are arranged along solid or barely hollow stems, lying down or ascending. The flowering is followed by the formation of cylindrical and elongated pods, ending in a small beak (a kind of little horn) that gave the plant its name. When mature, they project the seeds far away. The empty, dry pod resembles a bird's foot. This plant has an extensive and deep root system, which allows it to stabilize the soil in which it thrives. It also provides a habitat for the eggs of about a dozen butterfly species, including endangered blues.

The common lotus is a plant for full sun. Plant it in a rockery, along a gravel path, on a slope, in a naturalistic bed with not too tall plants that would eventually kill it: vetches, purple clover, borage, sainfoin... This lotus was once used to produce a yellow dye. It is used as green manure, as its roots, like those of many legumes, fix nitrogen. The corniculate lotus is toxic to humans in high doses and with regular consumption: its use in phytotherapy must be strictly followed by a doctor.

Green manures are sown on uncultivated plots or intercalary plots, between rows of vegetables. They are either naturally destroyed by frost or cut before seed formation. Once destroyed, they can be left in place as mulch, or crushed and incorporated into the surface layers of the soil, or collected and added to compost.