Medicago lupulina L.
Black Medic
Black medick is a sprawling, mat-forming member of the pea family, long established in Britain and a common sight across the lowlands. It bears small, dense, rounded heads of tiny yellow flowers above trefoil leaves, each leaflet tipped with a minute point.
About
Black medick is a sprawling, mat-forming member of the pea family, long established in Britain and a common sight across the lowlands. It bears small, dense, rounded heads of tiny yellow flowers above trefoil leaves, each leaflet tipped with a minute point. After flowering it forms tightly coiled seed pods that ripen black, a feature that gives the plant its name and distinguishes it from the true clovers it superficially resembles.
Usually an annual or short-lived plant, it favours dry, open ground: short grassland, verges, tracks, waste places, lawns and other disturbed or bare soils, especially over lime-rich substrates in full sun. It flowers over a long season from spring into late summer. As a legume it fixes nitrogen and gradually improves thin soils, and its modest flowers are visited by bees and other small insects. Its low, tough habit makes it a useful filler in short-turf and low-maintenance grassland mixes.
Also known as
Black Medic Clover · Black Medick · English Trefoil · Hop Clover · Hop Medic · Hop Trefoil · Nonesuch · Yellow Trefoil · black medick clover
Synonyms
Lupularia parviflora · Lupulina aurata · Medica lupulina · Medicago apennina · Medicago breviflora · Medicago canescens · Medicago ciliaris · Medicago corymbifera · Medicago cupaniana · Medicago cupianiana · Medicago cupiniana
In our seed mixes
- BFS 10 – Species Rich Wildflower Meadow Seed Mix
- BFS 130 – Flowering Grassless Lawn Wildflower Seed Mix – 100% Flora
- BFS 14 – Brownfield Site Wildflower Mix (Open Mosaic Habitat on Previously Developed Land) – 80% Flora
- BFS 9 – Country Meadow Wildflower Seed Mix
- BFS10(F) – Species Rich 100% Wildflower Meadow Mix
- BFS14(F) – Brownfield Site 100% Wildflower Mix
- BFS9(F)- Country Meadow 100% Wildflower Seed Mix
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.