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Fabaceae FAMILY

Hippocrepis emerus

Hippocrepis emerus

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

Although no mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, some members of the genus are poisonous[1, 2, 3, 4] and so some caution is advised.

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
Growth—

Hippocrepis emerus is native to the temperate and Mediterranean climates of southern Europe and northern Africa. It is fairly cold-hardy, able to tolerate short periods down to around -20°c if growing in a well-drained soil and sheltered from cold winds[5, 6]. An easily grown plant, it succeeds in a sunny position in most well-drained soils[5], preferring a moderately rich loamy soil[7, 8, 6]. Plants can be pruned almost back to the base if required, they usually resprout freely[6]. The flowers are sweetly scented[9]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[6]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[6].

Propagation

Seed - scarify and then pre-soak the seed for 1 - 2 hours in warm water[10]. A period of cold stratification is also said to be helpful[6]. Sow the seed in spring in a greenhouse. Germination usually takes place in 4 - 6 weeks at 15°c[10]. Pot up the seedlings as soon as possible into individual pots and plant them out in the following spring[10]. Cuttings of greenwood, early summer in a frame with bottom heat[7]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, mid summer in a frame[7]. Cuttings of nearly mature side shoots, firm at the base and 7 - 10cm long with a heel, autumn in a frame. Plants are well rooted after 12 months. Good percentage[11]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Hippocrepis+emerus>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]Edible and Medicinal Plants. — Launert. E. · Hamlyn · 1981 · ISBN 0-600-37216-2 ↩︎Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
  2. [2]Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. — Triska. Dr. · Hamlyn · 1975 · ISBN 0-600-33545-3 ↩︎Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.
  3. [3]Poisonous Plants. — Stary. F. · Hamlyn · 1983 · ISBN 0-600-35666-3 ↩︎Not very comprehensive, but easy reading.
  4. [4]A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. — Frohne. D. and Pfänder. J. · Wolfe · 1984 · ISBN 0723408394 ↩︎Brilliant. Goes into technical details but in a very readable way. The best work on the subject that I've come across so far.
  5. [5]Shrubs. — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1989 · ISBN 0-330-30258-2 ↩︎Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1,900 species and cultivars.
  6. [6]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  7. [7]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  8. [8]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  9. [9]Scented Flora of the World. — Genders. R. · Robert Hale. London. · 1994 · ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.
  10. [10]Growing from Seed. Volume 4. — Bird. R. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1990 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. A good article on Yuccas, one on Sagebrush (Artemesia spp) and another on Chaerophyllum bulbosum.
  11. [11]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  12. [12]Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. — Polunin. O. · Oxford University Press · 1980 · ISBN 0-19-217626-9 ↩︎A good pocket flora, it also lists quite a few plant uses.
  13. [13]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
  14. [14]Useful Fiber Plants of the World — Dodge C.R. · USDA; Washington. · 1897 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ ↩︎A rather dated, but very comprehensive catalogue of fibre plants from around the world. The book can be downloaded from the Internet.