Medicago arborea
| Medicago arborea | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 7' |
| Width: | 7' |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Mid Fall |
| Native to: | |
| Nitrogen Fixer | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Medicago arborea (common name: moon trefoil)
Propagation: Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in spring in a greenhouse[1]. The seed can also be sown in a greenhouse in autumn. Germination should be quite rapid. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on for at least the first winter in a greenhouse. Plant out in late spring or early summer.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[2]. Very easy if bottom heat is given[3].
Cultivation: Requires a warm position in full sun, succeeding in dry or well-drained moist soils[4]. Best grown against a wall[4] in the colder areas of the country[2]. Tolerant of wind and salt spray[1], it grows well in maritime gardens[5].
Plants are not hardy in the colder areas of Britain, they tolerate temperatures down to about -10°c when fully dormant[5][1], though the young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts. They do not succeed in the open at Kew, though they grow well against a wall[3].
The flowers have a vanilla or sweet pea scent[6].
Any pruning should consist of cutting out dead wood in the spring[2].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[1].
Range: Europe - Mediterranean.
Habitat: Scrub and rocky hillsides[5].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[K]. This plant was supplied to Plants for a Future in early 1994 from a person in Greece who said that it was often used in salads there[K]. Young shoots, when the plant is growing vigorously, have a slightly sweet, grass-like flavour but a rather chewy texture[K]. Older leaves, and younger leaves if the plant is not growing vigorously, have a distinct bitterness and are rather unpleasant[K].
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Shrubs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.