Sainfoin

Onobrychis viciifolia

Tall nitrogen-fixing perennial legume with hollow, succulent stems and pink-striped flowers. Large, deep branching taproot and fine lateral roots. Drought tolerant and winter-hardy. Low salt tolerance. Intolerant of high water tables and wet soils; long-lived on dryland when managed properly. Matures faster than Alfalfa (Medicago sativa), providing early spring forage. Quickly gaining popularity as a non-bloat forage alternative to alfalfa. Extremely palatable and highly nutritious; digestibility equal to alfalfa. Use for hay, pasture, rangeland or silage, alone or with grasses. Also use for wildlife habitat enhancement and food plots for elk, deer, pheasant and sage-grouse. Superior honey plant to alfalfa. Not invasive or weedy.