Beef: Birdsfoot trefoil, the wonder plant for rocky terrain

On the rock lands of the Bruce Peninsula, trefoil is proving ‘by far the legume of choice.’ But it can be difficult to establish

by Mary Baxter

Glen Wells calls birdsfoot trefoil the “miracle plant of legumes for grazing.”

Wells, who manages Bruce Community Pasture, which has grazed more than 50,000 head of cattle since it was established in 1966, says that the appeal of the plant is that it will grow in the county’s rocky terrain and comes into its prime when it’s needed most – in the dry summer months of July and August. Best of all, there’s no bloat to it.

It may be a wonder perennial, but introducing trefoil to an established stand can be tricky. That’s where cattle come in, says Wells.

Better Farming March 2008