The Urban Pantheist

After dog school, held in a field by the Watertown/Brighton line on the Charles River. All the yellow flowers are bird's foot trefoil.

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Photos by urbpan. Location: sidewalk near the Victory Gardens.

Urban species #202: Birdsfoot trefoil Lotus corniculatus

A great many urban plants are legumes introduced for agricultural reasons. They are used to create pastures full of high-protein greens, which leave the soil richer than when they got there. Birdsfoot trefoil is not as adventurous as its close relatives, red and white clover, and isn't nearly as common. It gets its name from the shape of its seed pods, which come in groups of three or more, like toes of a bird. The second part of its name refers to the three leaflets, which themselves bear some resemblance to a bird's foot--perhaps the foot of an American coot. The flowers of birdsfoot trefoil are too difficult to pry open for small insects, but are perfect for honeybees; beekeepers are said to approve of the quality of honey made from the nectar of this plant.