Birdsfoot Trefoil For Food Plots
Birdsfoot Trefoil is one
of the
longest living perennial legumes grown and is used in many erosion
projects along with the wildlife uses. Birdsfoot trefoil attracts quail, turkey, dove,
rabbits, and a host of other wildlife for the forage and seeds that are produced.
Note: Birdsfoot Trefoil is
not heat
tolerant and should not be planted in lower southern states as it
will be killed by summer heat in those locations.
Type: Perennial legume
Uses: Birdsfoot Trefoil will make great forage for deer, turkey and other
wildlife in harsh conditions. It is very tolerant of poorly drained, lowland or
acidic soils. It is drought resistant and salt tolerant but not adapted to the
Deep South. Trefoil is very slow to establish, but once established it is
persistent and resistant to browsing.
Planting Birdsfoot Trefoil For Food Plots
- Date: Aug. - Oct. for fall planting; Feb. - Apr. for spring planting
- Rate: 10 lbs. per acre or ¼ lb.
per 1000 sq. ft.
- Depth: ¼"
- Best For:
Deer, Turkey, Pheasant, Rabbit, and Quail
Birdsfoot Trefoil Characteristics
Birdsfoot trefoil is a leafy, fine stemmed, warm season
perennial legume. Its upright or spreading stems reach 20 to 40 inches in length
and grow
from a single crown. The leaves, borne alternatively along two sides of the
stem, are in groups of three, with two more broad leaflets at the base of the
leaf branch. This gives the appearance of five leaflets and is common only to
this legume.
The sweet pea-like flowers are lemon yellow to deep orange
in color and are
tinged with red. They tend to form clusters of 4 to 8 at the ends of long
stems. The slender seed pods, are about an inch long, resemble several toes of a
bird's foot. This characteristic is responsible for its common name. As the pods
mature and become completely dry, they split and the halves will twist allowing
the the seeds to scatter.
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