Lotus palustris
Lotus palustris
- Native to:
- Albania, Algeria, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Greece, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Morocco, North Caucasus, Palestine, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Türkiye, Yemen
Internet Archive Book Images (www.flickr.com),MuMiCaserta,Ian Capper (www.geograph.org.uk),Palmstruch, J. W. (Johan Wilhelm), 1770-1811; Venus, C. W. (Carl Wilhelm), 1770-1851; Quensel, Conrad, 1767-1806; Swartz, Olof, 1760-1818; Billberg, Gustav Johan, 1772-1844; Wahlenberg, Göran, 1780-1851; Kungl. Svenska vetenskapsakademien,Publications Office of the European Union (en.wikipedia.org),Società entomologica italiana Società entomologica italiana. Atti della Società entomologica italiana,Washington, D.C. : John Saul,Publications Office of the European Union (en.wikipedia.org),Publications Office of the European Union (en.wikipedia.org),John Milne & Sons,Droste-Hülshoff, Ferdinand,Gardenside Nurseries (Shelburne, Vt.) Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Lotus
- Species:
- Lotus palustris
- USDA Symbol:
- LOPA4
Growth Characteristics
- Height:
- 60 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep
- Bloom Colors:
- pink, white
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
- Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:
- ★★★☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, waterfowl, bees
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- moist, nutrient-rich, well-drained soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Commonly found in marshy areas and wetlands
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Hard seed coat requires scarification. Seeds may germinate erratically over several weeks.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI