Common Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis)

  

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Melilotus officinalis, known as the yellow sweet clover, yellow melilot, ribbed melilotor common melilot is a species of legume native to Eurasia and introduced in North America, Africa and Australia. Although the plant is very common in Western Canada, many people do not recognize it as clover or as a legume.

Toxicology: Sweet clover contains coumarin that converts to dicoumarol (a powerful anticoagulant toxin) when the plant becomes mouldy. This can lead to bleeding diseases (internal haemorrhaging) and death in cattle. Consequently, hay containing the plant must be properly dried and cured, especially in wet environments.

Uses:

In the chemical industry, dicoumarol is extracted from the plant to produce rodenticides.

Food:

This plant is mainly used for agricultural purposes. It is grown as hay despite its toxic properties when mouldy.

Sweet clover is a major source of nectar for domestic honey bees.

Flowers and seeds can be used as flavouring.

Young leaves gathered before flowering can be eaten raw.

Grows in disturbed sites.

 Do not ingest mouldy plants, due to the presence of dicoumarol, which is a powerful anti-coagulant.

©Al (Ales-Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved.