It is not as productive as alfalfa on well-drained, fertile soils with high pH, but it will out yield alfalfa on marginal soils. It can withstand several weeks of flooding. It also tolerates periods of moderate drought and heat. It is resistant to insects and produces forage of excellent quality. Birdsfoot trefoil normally outlives red clover by several years.
Stands can last for many years if managed to allow natural reseeding.
Natural reseeding is especially important in southern Ohio where birdsfoot trefoil stands are generally short-lived. Birdsfoot trefoil is an ideal pasture legume. It has excellent grazing tolerance, high forage quality, good palatability, and does not cause bloat in grazing animals. Yield data for the 1996 harvest is not an accurate account of birdsfoot trefoil forage, for most plots were over taken by heavy weed pressure and poor stands due to winter injury. Variety Selection Birdsfoot trefoil varieties have traditionally been classified by growth habit.