Fabaceae FAMILY

Ononis natrix

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitShrub

Growth—

Ononis natrix is a moderately cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -15°c when fully dormant^[1]. Requires a sunny position, growing best in a well-drained, neutral to alkaline soil^[1]. Succeeds in shallow chalk soils^[1]. The plant is particularly useful for growing on the tops of walls or on dry banks^[1]. Plants are resentful of root disturbance and should be moved with care^[1]. 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^[2].

Propagation

Scarify or pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water and sow the seed in early spring in a greenhouse^[1]. The seed can also be sown in a cold frame in the autumn. Plants resent root disturbance and so, as soon as they are large enough to handle, they should be pricked out into individual pots and then planted out in late spring^[1]. Cuttings of soft young shoots in early summer in a closed frame with bottom heat^[1]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Ononis+natrix>

Pollinators

Insects

References

[1]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.
[2]The Leguminosae; A Source Book of Characteristics, Uses and Nodulation — Allen O.N.; Allen E.K. · University of Wisconsin · 1981 · ISBN 0-333-32221-5 ↩︎An amazing and comprehensive work, giving a brief guide to the many genera of the family Fabaceae and also the principle uses of the genus.
[3]Chemical Composition and Antibacterial Activity of the Essential Oil of Ononis natrix from Morocco — Elamrani A. & Benaissa M. · 2010 · http://10.1080/0972060X.2010.10643852 · ISBN 0972-060X ↩︎
[4]Screening of Some Medicinal Plants for their Pancreatic Lipase Inhibitory Potential — Yasser Bustanji; Mohammad Mohammad; Mohammad Hudaib; Khaled · 2011 ↩︎