Birdsfoot trefoil is a non-bloating legume best suited to permanent pasture situations. It is well adapted to steep or stony land that should not be cultivated, because birdsfoot trefoil will reseed itself. Although individual plants live for only a few years, stands of birdsfoot trefoil have remained productive for 10 or more years when allowed to go to seed. It is also adapted to soils with marginal drainage. Trefoil has a lower yield potential and is more difficult to dry than alfalfa, so it is recommended for hay prduction only in areas where alfalfa will not grow well.. Because trefoil seedlings are slow to establish, it will usually take at least a year to get a satisfactory stand. Trefoil, like alfalfa, has a critical fall harvest period, beginning about 10 days earlier than alfalfa at the same location.