How to Grow and Care for hippocrepis

Scorpion senna is a bushy flowering shrub that often grows around forest edges and on dry and sunny rocky slopes. Hippocrepis emerus is one of the main host plants of burnet moth Zygaena ephialtes. This shrub produces mildly scented bright yellow flowers in spring.

Horseshoe vetch (Hippocrepis comosa) is a perennial wildflower that can actually live up to 40 years. This plant can be planted as a cover crop over fields leached of Nitrogen by heavy-feeding plants like soybeans and will repair Nitrogen deficiencies without additional chemicals! It is also a crucial snacking spot for various butterflies.

Lesser horseshoe vetch (Hippocrepis ciliata) has an unusual seed-pod that features horseshoe-shaped fruits. In fact, its scientific name means horse (hippo) and shoe (krepis) in Latin. These unusual pods are the best way to identify this plant; one can also look for its yellow flowers in its native Mediterranean habitats.

Hippocrepis balearica is an evergreen shrub endemic to the Balearic Islands, thriving in rocky coastal habitats. Its leaves are small and leathery, an adaptation to resist desiccation by the salty sea breeze. Vibrant yellow flowers, resembling horseshoes, bloom in spring, giving hippocrepis balearica its distinctive appearance and name. The plant's hardy nature allows it to flourish in the Mediterranean climate's dry, sun-drenched conditions.

Two-flowered horsehoe vetch is a diminutive perennial with paired, vibrant yellow flowers that bloom above crescent-shaped leaf clusters. This hardy species thrives in well-drained, sandy soils, typically in warmer, sun-lit areas, suggesting a resilience and adaptability to dryer habitats. The dual blooms, a rare feature amongst its kin, are not just a visual marvel, but also serve to attract a variety of pollinators, thus ensuring the plant's reproduction and persistence in its native ecosystem.