Wicked Tuff Turf Birdsfoot Trefoil Seed

The safe, tough pasture legume — it won't cause bloat, it thrives on ground that defeats alfalfa, and it comes back on its own for a decade.

Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) is a long-lived perennial — a single stand can persist 5–10+ years, reseeding itself to stay dense. Its standout trait is that it is non-bloating: most lush legumes can cause bloat (a dangerous build-up of gas in grazing cattle and sheep), but Birdsfoot Trefoil does not, so you can graze it safely. It also contains condensed tannins — natural plant compounds that are associated with lower internal parasite loads in grazing livestock, which is why organic and low-input graziers value it. As a legume it does nitrogen fixation, pulling 50–100 lbs of nitrogen per acre from the air into the soil. And it tolerates wet, acidic, low-fertility, and moderately salty ground where alfalfa and most clovers fail. Our seed is uncoated and tested for purity and germination.

Key Benefits

•     Bloat-safe grazing: one of the few pasture legumes that does not cause bloat in cattle and sheep.

•     Natural herd support: condensed tannins are associated with reduced internal parasite loads in grazers.

•     Thrives on tough ground: wet, acidic, low-fertility, and moderately saline soils.

•     Long-lived & self-reseeding: a productive stand for 5–10+ years.

•     Soil builder: fixes 50–100 lbs of nitrogen per acre a year.

•     Clean, uncoated seed: no fillers, coatings, or dyes.

Best Uses

•     Bloat-safe pasture and grazing systems

•     Marginal land improvement and reclamation

•     Roadside, conservation, and DOT plantings

•     Wildlife food plots and deer habitat

•     Low-input, sustainable forage programs

Important Notes

Be patient in year one: Birdsfoot Trefoil establishes slowly compared to clovers. Prepare a firm seedbed, sow shallow (surface to ¼ inch), and plant with a nurse crop such as oats to suppress weeds while it gets going. Full production comes in year two.

Use the right inoculant: Birdsfoot Trefoil needs Mesorhizobium loti, the bacteria specific to Lotus. Clover inoculant (Rhizobium trifolii) will NOT nodulate it, which would mean poor nitrogen fixation. It is a pasture and forage crop, not a residential lawn — it has low foot-traffic tolerance.

Why Choose Old Cobblers Farm™?

Every bag of Wicked Tuff Turf seed is selected for high purity and strong germination, and tested so you know what you are planting — consistent, clean, uncoated seed for growers managing tough ground where other legumes fail.