- Lifespan
- Biennial or short-lived perennial, typically 1–2 years
- Size & Weight
- 15–50 cm tall; flower heads 1–2 cm diameter
- Habitat
- Dry, sunny grasslands, chalk and limestone slopes, coastal cliffs, and disturbed ground with well-drained soils.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout much of the UK, particularly common in southern England, Wales, and along coastal regions; scarcer in northern Scotland and some inland areas.
- Diet
- Not applicable — as a flowering plant, it photosynthesises and obtains nutrients from soil and water.
- Predators
- Herbivorous insects including leaf beetles and aphids; caterpillars of some moth species feed on foliage.
- Mating Season
- Flowers June to September; peak flowering July to August
- Breeding
- Produces seed pods (legume) containing 1–2 seeds; dispersed by gravity and occasionally by animals; seeds germinate in autumn or spring.
- Behaviour
- A nitrogen-fixing legume that forms symbiotic relationships with soil bacteria, enriching poor soils. Attracts a range of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and other insects. Often colonises disturbed or degraded habitats rapidly.