Maureen Gilmer
Family
Fabaceae
Botanical Name
LOTUS 'Gold Flash'
Plant Common Name
Trefoil
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
Golden yellow flowers that look like the flickering flames of a candle have orangey tips that contrast Gold Flash trefoil's fine, light blue-green foliage. A hybrid derived from plants native to the Canary Islands, it is a deciduous vine-like plant that is low but spreading, like a tall groundcover. It may also be called parrot's beak.
It short leaves look like needles and occur in whorled tufts along the stems. The leaves are a medium green with hints of blue and/or silver. In late spring, flame-shaped or lobster claw-like bright yellow flowers appear above the foliage. Floral tips are a contrasting orange or orange-red. Flowering subsides in summer's heat but again resumes in early autumn when evening temperatures are again cooler.
Grow trefoil in well-draining soils of average garden fertility that are not alkaline. Full sun exposures are acceptable in all but the hottest of summer climates or if there is excessive relfective light and heat off of rock or concrete. Use 'Gold Flash' as a fine-textured groundcover in a rockery or hillside or as a trailing plant to cover edges of large containers. It grows as an annual in temperate regions that have long summers.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
12 - 1
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USDA Hardiness Zone
9 - 11
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Sunset Zone
9, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
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Plant Type
Tender Perennial
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Sun Exposure
Partial Sun
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Height
8"-12" / 20.3cm - 30.5cm
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Width
2'-3' / 0.6m - 0.9m
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Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Early Fall, Fall
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Native To
Hybrid Origin
Special Characteristics
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Usage
Container, Groundcover, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Invasive
No
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Attracts
Hummingbirds
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Self-Sowing
No
