Fabaceae/Leguminosae: a perennial like Common Restharrow, but more upright and busy, with spiny stems, to 70cm. Found in grassland on clay and heavy soils. the flowers are from 10-12mm long, and deep pink. Blooming from July-September. The fruit are pods. The leaves are trifoliate with narrow, oval leaflets. Mature roots are very tough and the plant gained its common name of 'Rest Harrow' because ploughs and harrows would be unable to break through it (in the days before heavy machinery was used on the land!). Native to most of Europe, including Britain, to North Africa and temperate Asia. Found locally in Britain, mainly in England.

The young shoots can be cooked and used as a potherb. The roots can be chewed for their liquorice-like flavour. The Flowers can also be used raw as a decoration on salads.

The roots, leaves and flowers have antitussive, aperient, diuretic and lithontripic properties.

 

Scarify or pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and sow the seed in the middle of spring in situ. The seed can also be sown in a cold frame in the autumn. Prefers a sunny position in a well-drained neutral to alkaline soil. Succeeds in poor soils, the plant often becoming spiny in such a situation. Like O. repens but this species is not rhizomatous. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen.