Melilotus officinalis
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Photo courtesy Renee Brecht |
Britton & Brown |
| Botanical name: | Melilotus officinalis |
| Common name: | yellow sweetclover |
| Group: | dicot |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Growth type: | forb/herb |
| Duration: | annual; biennial; perennial |
| Origin: | introduced |
| Plant height: | 3 - 8' |
| Foliage: | erect plant, hairless, alternate leaves, leaves divided into 3 leaflets, finely toothed. Smells like freshly mown hay when crushed or dried. |
| Flower: | yellow flowers in racemes, 2-4" long |
| Flowering time: | late May to late October |
| Habitat: | roadsides, weedy places, disturbed sites |
| Range in New Jersey: | statewide |
| Heritage ranking, if any: | n/a |
| Distribution: |  |
| Misc. | plants yield dye; when dried, foliage is black. Ground seeds used to color and flavor cheese. Medicinal uses.
Grown as hay and used as green manure. Alos a source of nectar for honey bees. |