Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam.
Melilotus officinalis
Melilotus officinalis, commonly known as sweet yellow clover or ribbed melilot, is a legume native to Eurasia and introduced in North America, Africa, and Australia. It can be an annual or biennial plant, growing to a height of 120–180 cm. The leaves are alternate with three leaflets, and the yellow flowers bloom in spring and summer. The plant has a characteristic sweet odor and large taproots, growing in groups.
Details
Fabales
Fabaceae
Melilotus
The plant contains coumarin, which converts to dicoumarol, a powerful anticoagulant toxin, when the plant becomes moldy. This can lead to internal hemorrhaging and death in cattle.
The seeds are eaten by game birds, including grouse. Sweet clover can be used as pasture or livestock feed when properly cured. It is most palatable in spring and early summer but may require time for livestock to adjust to its bitter taste. Historically, it was used as a cover crop to increase nitrogen content and improve soil water capacity. It is also a major source of nectar for domestic honey bees, with hives near sweet clover yielding up to 200 pounds of honey per year. In the chemical industry, dicoumarol is extracted from the plant to produce rodenticides.
Spring and Summer
120–180 cm
Yellow
Open disturbed land, prairies, and savannahs. It grows in full or partial sunlight and prefers calcareous loamy and clay soils with a pH above 6.5. It can tolerate cold temperatures and drought but does not tolerate standing water or acidic soils.
Info
Pannon Flora Ltd. was founded on December 13, 1999, by Gábor Janik, who retains 95% ownership. Janik holds an MSc in Horticulture from the University of Horticultural Sciences (1986) and an Advanced Professional English Certification from the College of International Trade (1990). The company specializes in bird feed production and export, primarily serving markets in Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK, alongside cultivating and distributing imported/exported horticultural seeds. It maintains exclusive partnerships with JOEUN Seed (South Korea) and Takii Europe (Japan), a leader in professional seed breeding and production. Pannon Flora collaborates with certification bodies such as NÉBIH (National Food Chain Safety Office), MERT Kontroll, and SGS Hungary to ensure compliance and quality. The company works with approximately 400 Hungarian growers, ranging from small-scale producers (under 5 hectares) to mid-sized farms and large-scale agricultural enterprises. This profile emphasizes agribusiness expertise, technical partnerships, and operational scalability tailored to international client needs.
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