It is an annual leguminous herb native to the countries around the Mediterranean, although introduced elsewhere. It is low growing, and produces a profusion of prominent deep red flowers, followed by seed pods that are longitudinally winged.
It is cultivated for its edible green seed pods, which are one of the vegetables known as asparagus pea or winged pea.
Lotus tetragonolobus is a ANNUAL growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.3 m (1ft in). It is in flower from June to August, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects.
It can fix Nitrogen.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
