Hippocrepis comosa L.
Horseshoe Vetch
Horseshoe vetch is a low-growing native perennial of the pea family, restricted largely to short, well-grazed chalk and limestone grassland in southern and eastern Britain. It forms spreading mats of small, neatly paired pinnate leaflets and produces rounded clusters of bright yellow, pea-type flowers.
About
Horseshoe vetch is a low-growing native perennial of the pea family, restricted largely to short, well-grazed chalk and limestone grassland in southern and eastern Britain. It forms spreading mats of small, neatly paired pinnate leaflets and produces rounded clusters of bright yellow, pea-type flowers. The plant takes its name from the curved, horseshoe-shaped segments of its flattened seed pods, which break apart when ripe.
Flowering through late spring and summer, it is a magnet for bees and other insects and is the crucial larval food plant of two prized downland butterflies, the Adonis blue and the chalkhill blue, which makes it ecologically important on calcareous grassland. It needs thin, free-draining, lime-rich soil in full sun and does not tolerate competition from vigorous grasses. It is a specialist choice for chalk and limestone grassland restoration and conservation seed mixes rather than general meadows.
Also known as
Horseshoe vetch · Horseshoe-vetch
Synonyms
Coronilla comosa · Coronilla depressa · Hippocrepis alpestris · Hippocrepis atlantica · Hippocrepis burgalensis · Hippocrepis comosa alpestris · Hippocrepis comosa alpina · Hippocrepis comosa broteana · Hippocrepis comosa burgalensis · Hippocrepis comosa macedonica
In our seed mixes
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.