What's this flower, forb, weed?

[Bill]

I'm not so good at things I didn't plant.

 

[scott44]

Looks like birdsfoot trefoil.

 

[West Branch]

Looks like birdsfoot trefoil.

Agree.

 

[wiscwhip]

Yes, BFT. I just picked a big bunch the other day for our house bunny. Found out she was ok with it, but much prefers red clover blossoms instead. Good deer food.

 

[Bill]

Cool!

That fits right in with my Susan's

Daisy's

And some what elderberrys.

 

[Turkey Creek]

I have never seen daisys like that. Are those wild or planted?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Birdsfoot trefoil, once established, stays around for years too. We've had some at my camp for probably 10 years. Our Game Commission plants BFT on logging roads and clearings for deer. Good to have, like Whip said.

 

[j-bird]

I added some to a perennial mix just for kicks several years ago. Added it just for some diversity. Can't say the deer really care one way or the other.

 

[Freeborn]

Another forb that I like is Maximillian Sunflower. Grows very tall and competes well with grasses.

I can't say if Deer like them but Bees, birds and everything else will.

 

[sandbur]

Birdsfoot trefoil, once established, stays around for years too. We've had some at my camp for probably 10 years. Our Game Commission plants BFT on logging roads and clearings for deer. Good to have, like Whip said.

I can find some from over 25 years ago.

 

[Bill]

I have never seen daisys like that. Are those wild or planted?

Nope, all natural. It must be the year of the wild flower around here. There everywhere.
Those pics are from a failed switchgrass field that I tried to rescue in early spring by hitting it with gly and atrazine. Got some switch but mostly flowers.

I also had a failing clover plot that I mowed back in May. Checked on it today and found this. I didn't mow:)

The daisies look like Shasta daisy to me...is that what you'd call them Bill?

After looking it up I'd say that's what they are.

 

[West Branch]

For us that are further north I think that a mix with red clover and birdsfoot trefoil is a great bet. We have it growing a lot of our hay fields and it does well. This field below had quite a bit of BFT during the summer and MRC took over in the fall. This picture was towards the end of Sept 2014. One field that we need to get reseeded still has a decent amount of BFT after ~11 years and a surprising amount of clover.

 

[wiscwhip]

BFT is some pretty amazing stuff. It grows well in many soil conditions/climate zones and has a relative feed value that rivals alfalfa. It does like P, and if you have ample P in the soil, it can do extremely well in those areas.

 

[scott44]

For us that are further north I think that a mix with red clover and birdsfoot trefoil is a great bet. We have it growing a lot of our hay fields and it does well. This field below had quite a bit of BFT during the summer and MRC took over in the fall. This picture was towards the end of Sept 2014. One field that we need to get reseeded still has a decent amount of BFT after ~11 years and a surprising amount of clover.

My dad always added some to our hay fields also, some of it escaped the field and it in the fence rows. I guess I don't see it as being invasive but then again I'm not sure on the deer usage either.

 

[Bill]

It seems to short to become invasive around me.

Daisys on the other hand I don't know. If you guys didn't tell me that they were good I'd swear they were invasive bad stuff.

Here's a 7 acre field I never do anything with cause it's to steep. All that white is daisys.

Last summer my brother insisted on mowing a 2 acre field of (what seemed like) failed switch grass. I let him because it was full of clover and became a thick natural stand.

He's probably not going to like it but no way I'm mowing this year. BFT, Susan's, daisys, clover and quite a bit of sparse switch. So what if there's some rag weed in the mix. They eat that too.

The only thing I did notice coming down the road is my place looks kinda unkept :)

All my neighbors fields are the same color and nice and tidy looking.

 

[wiscwhip]

Monocultures are generally not what the experienced wildlife manger is looking for, so let the neighbors have their worthless fields of grass and keep doing what you have been doing, the critters will thank you in the end by using your place more frequently than the places down the road.;)

 

[Bill]

I hear ha wisc, I was joking about the neighbor. Other than he does look tidier. That's what my fields looked like when I bought the place. The neighbor was haying everything. Then I decided it was time for the broam to go. The only place it's left is in the fence lines.

Stu,
I'm leaving the daisy's this year. If they start getting to thick and shading out the good stuff I'll mow next year. Or late summer.