Black medick

Medicago lupulina

Layer 4 · Herbaceous
Nitrogen fixer

Status by region

No restrictions recorded in the lists we checked.

Checked against the European Union list (Regulation 1143/2014) · Portugal's national invasive species list (Decreto-Lei 92/2019).

Information based on the cited sources, not legal advice — always confirm your local rules.

About

Small nitrogen-fixing annual legume, useful as a green cover and pioneer soil plant. In the herbaceous layer of a food forest it enriches the soil, and its yellow blooms attract pollinators. Tolerates poor, dry and chalky soils.

It can be planted now — September is one of the best months.

See which trees black medick grows well with

These trees share this species' soil and climate — the pairing is inferred from conditions, not from a guild we have already seen.

No account needed.

Needs

Water: Low
Light: Full sun
Size: Herbaceous annual up to 0.4 m
Mature diameter: 0.3 m
Soils: Loam, Limestone, Clay, Sandy
Climates: Atlantic coast, Inland / Continental, Hot, dry Mediterranean

Calendar

January
February
March — Planting
April — Harvest — Planting
May — Harvest
June — Harvest
July — Harvest
August — Harvest
September — Harvest — Planting
October — Planting
November
December

Harvest
Planting

Medicinal use: The seeds can be roasted or ground into flour, and the young leaves are edible when cooked.

Where to buy

Central trees worth considering

May work well together — same soil and climate, complementary layers. We have not seen this combination in a generated guild yet.

May grow well with

Suggestions worked out from growing conditions — same soil and climate, complementary layers and functions. These are not observed guilds; treat them as a starting point to try on your own land.