Native to Europe, Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) is blooming now in North America. You can tell it doesn’t belong here because its bright yellow flowers seem out of place along the roads.
It’s a very pretty member of the Pea family with leaves shaped like birds’ feet. Here you can see it looks like yellow crown vetch when you aren’t standing so close.
Fortunately in Pennsylvania it’s not as invasive as crown vetch, so I don’t feel bad displaying this beauty shot.
(photo from Wikimedia Commons. Click on the image to see the original)
Beautiful photograph of the birdsfoot trefoil…
The lesser the soil’s fertility, the better this stuff grows. Asphalt hardly slows it down.