Yellow Bird's-Foot
Ornithopus compressus
- Native to:
- Albania, Algeria, Azores, Baleares, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., France, Greece, Iran, Italy, Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Madeira, Morocco, NW. Balkan Pen., Palestine, Portugal, Sardegna, Sicilia, Spain, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe
Didier Descouens
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Ornithopus
- Species:
- Ornithopus compressus
- USDA Symbol:
- ORCO15
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 40 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may,jun
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- livestock forage
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- native to Mediterranean regions with poor soil
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Scarification improves germination. Seeds have hard seed coat typical of legumes.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI