Melilotus officinalis, July 10, 2023
Common & scientific name
Yellow sweetclover, Melilotus officinalis
Family
Pea, Fabaceae
Location
Roadside up to 9,800’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
Yes, this is the same yellow-flowered plant you see growing 3 feet high by the side of the road seemingly everywhere. It stabilizes soil, fixes nitrogen, doesn’t mind roadsides or other disturbed places, and is loved by bees. These are its positive traits. It is also, as you can tell by its abundance, invasive and can potentially crowd out (or at least hide) native species. Thankfully I have not seen it creep into the back country, beyond roadside, where the bees have plenty of other native species to choose from.