Yellow Sweetclover
Melilotus officinalis
Also listed as Brachylobus officinalis, Medicago officinalis
Also known as Yellow Melilot, Common Melilot, Ribbed Melilot
Climate Match for your location
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Yellow Sweetclover is a legume with small yellow flowers clustered on upright stems, valued as a cover crop and wildlife forage plant. It is drought-tolerant and nitrogen-fixing, making it useful for soil improvement and erosion control.
Why grow it
Yellow sweetclover serves as a dual-purpose cover crop where nitrogen fixation and erosion control are priorities, particularly in drier climates where many legume alternatives struggle. Compared to other nitrogen-fixing covers like alfalfa, it establishes more quickly and tolerates poor soils, though it is typically shorter-lived (biennial) and less persistent. University extension services recommend it primarily for temporary soil building phases rather than long-term perennial systems.
Watch out for
Yellow Sweetclover can self-seed prolifically in disturbed areas, so plan for management after its useful lifecycle ends. If grown as a cover crop, incorporate it before seed maturation to prevent volunteer plants in subsequent seasons. In drier climates, it may require supplemental moisture to establish well, despite its drought tolerance once established.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Fabaceae
Native Range
Mediterranean
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Flood Tolerance
Deer Resistance
Inferred from USDA browse palatability
pH Range
Soil Texture
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
Yellow Sweetclover is a legume with small yellow flowers clustered on upright stems, valued as a cover crop and wildlife forage plant. It is drought-tolerant and nitrogen-fixing, making it useful for soil improvement and erosion control.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Yellow Sweetclover grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Yellow sweetclover serves as a dual-purpose cover crop where nitrogen fixation and erosion control are priorities, particularly in drier climates where many legume alternatives struggle. Compared to other nitrogen-fixing covers like alfalfa, it establishes more quickly and tolerates poor soils, though it is typically shorter-lived (biennial) and less persistent. University extension services recommend it primarily for temporary soil building phases rather than long-term perennial systems.
Watch out for
Yellow Sweetclover can self-seed prolifically in disturbed areas, so plan for management after its useful lifecycle ends. If grown as a cover crop, incorporate it before seed maturation to prevent volunteer plants in subsequent seasons. In drier climates, it may require supplemental moisture to establish well, despite its drought tolerance once established.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Fabaceae
Native Range
Mediterranean
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Flood Tolerance
Deer Resistance
Inferred from USDA browse palatability
pH Range
Soil Texture
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
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