Yellow Owl's-Clover
Orthocarpus luteus
- Native to:
- Canada, United States
JerryFriedman
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Orobanchaceae
- Genus:
- Orthocarpus
- Species:
- Orthocarpus luteus
- USDA Symbol:
- ORLU2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Growth Habit:
- Parasite
- Height:
- 40 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- jun,jul,aug,sep
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Native to prairies and grasslands where periodic fire maintains open habitat; reseeds after fire.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- well-drained, sandy or rocky soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- dry to moderate
- Notes:
- prefers open, sunny habitats
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Hemiparasitic; germinates best near host plant roots. Light may improve germination.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI
Pre-treatment: 30 day cold moist treatment or none
Establishment: Seed cleaning technique: Inflorescences crushed and sieved. Seeds are very small and will be mixed with a large quantity of miscellaneous plant material.
Source: npn.rngr.net