How about this one

[Nova]

I found quite a bit of this growing in some areas last night. Looks like it should be ideal browse, but didn't see much evidence of that. The wife wants to transplant some to her flower gardens. It almost looks like hairy vetch, but it doesn't get more than 6-8" tall and seems to spread across the ground instead of going up.

 

[Native Hunter]

Crown Vetch (Securigera varia). I have some of it in the fence row behind my house and never see any browsing.

 

[Nova]

That's it Native, thanks!! Makes perfect sense now that I read about it. Most of it I have found is on a berm that the neighboring gravel put up about 15 years ago. I assume they seeded it with this to keep erosion to a minimum.

 

[Native Hunter]

That's it Native, thanks!! Makes perfect sense now that I read about it. Most of it I have found is on a berm that the neighboring gravel put up about 15 years ago. I assume they seeded it with this to keep erosion to a minimum.

Yes, it was used extensively for that purpose. In my area it's more aggressive than how you described it growing, but that makes sense due to how much further south I am.

I still see it on highway banks around here where it was used to stop erosion. I wish they still used it, but our state highway department is now seeding Sericea lespedeza for that purpose. It makes me so mad I can hardly stand it - a state agency spreading Sericea. They even have named cultivars of Sericea for that purpose. One is called "Interstate." Took a real genius for that one...…..

 

[wiscwhip]

Birdsfoot Trefoil is another very common reclaimation planting. We have it along almost every highway in our area. Some areas it gets browsed and others I do not see much usage.