Excellent Nitrogen-Fixing Plants

From cover crops to trees, these plants enrich your soil and look good doing it

Whether you have a front - pace garden the size of a postage cast or a 100 - Accho hayfield , the economic consumption of atomic number 7 - fixing plants in your landscape can advance your filth fecundity . Nitrogen - fixing plant , most of which are member of the legume fellowship , are able to “ fix ” atomic number 7 from the atmosphere through a symbiotic kinship with specialized bacteria on their origin . Some N - fixing plants are used as cover crops and are incorporated back into the soil through chopping , mowing , or tilling , which provide a large hike of nitrogen at once . But even atomic number 7 - fixing plant that are n’t chopped and flatten on a regular basis , such as tree diagram , still come back nitrogen to the grime . tree return nitrogen more step by step as their bird feeder roots ( with the associated nitrogen - doctor nodules ) die off and are replaced as part of their rude life cycle .

Cover Crops

Cover crop are long familiar to Fannie Farmer and ranchers , but even domicile nurseryman ( both cosmetic and veg ) can benefit from them . If your vegetable garden is n’t producing the direction it used to , or you simply want a good mode to keep down smoke during the winter or summer fallow time of year , try planting a cover craw and then turn it into the grime . Excellent cover crops for the Southern Plains neighborhood include clovers , vetches , and peas .

Clovers are versatile , honest , and make excellent declination or spring cover crop . My favorites are crimson trefoil ( Trifolium incarnatum ) and ‘ Silver River ’ angelical clover ( Melilotus albus ) . For sheer color , crimson clover is unbelievable . The deep red prime heads , which are 2 – to-3 - in - long brushing , give a lucullan , velvety appearance when a whole field or garden layer is in bloom . ‘ Silver River ’ is a recently introduce variety of lily-white sweet clover from Texas A&M University that is beloved by bee . While not as showy as the crimson trefoil , it is very drought- and rusting - resistant and can give rise a prodigious amount of nitrogen - rich plant matter .

Of the vetch , the hardiest and most stouthearted may be hairy vetch ( Vicia villosa ) . It is the most winter sturdy and forgiving of different stain types and give an excellent nerveless - time of year cover .

My favorite cover crops of all are the Southern peas ( Vigna unguiculata ) because , quite frankly , I like to eat them . southerly pea plant such as violet Isaac Hull , mordant - eyes , and cream pea are warm - time of year crop that must be planted after the dirt has warm up to about 60 ° F . They are n’t too finical about grunge type , and they are easy to harvest , fun to shell , and delicious to eat . Even if you do n’t determine to eat them , you’re able to change state the plants under at the end of the season and feel good about all of the nitrogen you are devolve to the soil .

Herbaceous Ornamentals

If you care the approximation of revert N to your soil but are n’t concerned in the cover look of a cover harvest , there are a identification number of herbaceous ornamental that fit the bill . As a native Texan , I can not talk about nitrogen - fixing plants without mentioning Texas Texas bluebonnet ( genus Lupinus texensis , yearly ) . Named as our country peak and inseminate along highways all throughout the state , it creates an telling dispirited show every fountain . Many citizenry do n’t clear that it is also a legume .

Two lovely dip - blooming N repairer are partridge pea ( Chamaecrista fasciculatavar . fasciculata , Zones 3–9 ) and Lindheimer ’s senna ( Senna lindheimeriana , Zones 8–11 ) . The senna blooms from August to October , has fuzzy pinnate parting and yellow flowers , and thrives in dry , bouldery soils . Partridge pea plant blooms longer , from about May to October and prefers sandy or alluvial grime .

Trees

The following are my favorite N - fix trees for the garden because of their natural beauty and want of thorns : Anacacho orchid tree diagram ( Bauhinia lunarioides , zone 8–11 ) is a beautiful , tint - tolerant bush / little tree diagram with endearing white flowers and leaves that look like close down hearts . Texas peck laurel ( Sophora secundiflora , Zones 7–10 ) is a herald of natural spring with showy dark light-green leaves and clayey bunch of cherubic - smell purple blossoms . gold lead ball Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ( Leucaena retusa , Zones 7–9 ) looks like it come from Dr. Seuss ’s imagination , with bright golden , fuzzy , ball - shaped prime and airy , light green foliage . Texas redbud ( Cercis canadensisvar . texensis , Zones 4–8 ) is a beautiful , small understory tree with heart - shaped leave , purplish red bud , and classifiable brown seedpods that reveal its leguminous nature . easterly redbud ( Cercis canadensisvar.canadensis , zone 4–8 ) looks like the Texas variety but is much larger , requires more water , and has a more protracted geographic range .

Whether you are look to regenerate depleted soils or prevent their depletion in the first place , there are a figure of nitrogen - fixate coinage that fit out the bill . fortunately for us , these species are beautiful as well as useful ! experimentation with a few in your own garden if you have n’t tried them before .

— Karen Beaty is a horticulturalist at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin , Texas .

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