Bird's-Foot Trefoil

Bird's-Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) is in the Legumes family (Fabaceae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 6,324 research-grade flowering observations of it in our sample, peaking in June.

Nationally it blooms mainly from June to August, but timing varies a lot by state and elevation — see the table below.

When to photograph Bird's-Foot Trefoil: observations by month (U.S.)

About Bird's-Foot Trefoil

Lotus corniculatus is a common flowering plant in the pea family Fabaceae, native to grassland in temperate Eurasia and North Africa. Common names include common bird's-foot trefoil and just bird's-foot trefoil, though the common name is often also applied to other members of the genus. It is also known in cultivation in North America as bird's-foot deervetch.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Bird's-Foot Trefoil by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related wildflowers (Legumes)

White CloverTrifolium repens

Red CloverTrifolium pratense

Texas bluebonnetLupinus texensis

Rose CloverTrifolium hirtum

Tomcat CloverTrifolium willdenovii

American hog-peanutAmphicarpaea bracteata

Purple CrownvetchSecurigera varia

Partridge PeaChamaecrista fasciculata

Photography tips

• Photograph flowers on calm, overcast mornings to avoid wind blur and harsh shadows.
• Get low: a shallow depth of field (f/2.8–f/5.6) isolates a bloom against soft color.
• Stay on trails — trampling meadows kills plants and ruins next year's display.
• Try a kaleidoscope abstract of a single bloom with our online kaleidoscope tool.

FAQ