Powell River Project
Reclamation Guidelines for Surface-Mined Land in Southwest Virginia

Revegetation Species and Practices

Authors: Jeff Skousen, Associate Professor and Extension Reclamation Specialist, Division of Plant and Soil Sciences, West Virginia University; and Carl E. Zipper, Extension Specialist, Department of Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences, and Associate Director, Powell River Project, Virginia Tech

Publication Number 460-122, January 1997

Legumes available for use in eastern U.S. mine reclamation.

Common Name
(Scientific Name)
Principal
Cultivars
Life Cycle1Growth Season2Origin3Seeding Rate
Lbs./ac4
Ease of
Estab-
lishment
Persist-
ence
Drought
Resist-
ance
Alfalfa
(Medicago sativa)
Pioneer 524,
Hi-Phy, Classic*,
DeKalb 120*,
Saranac AR*,
Arc Vernal
PCoolI15-20FairGoodGood
Crimson Clover
(Trifolium incarnatum)
Dixie, AuburnACoolI10-15GoodFairPoor
Red Clover
(Trifolium pratense)
Arlington*, Mammoth, Midland,
Lakeland, Kenland*,
Pennscott, Norlac,
Kenstar*
PCoolI10-12GoodFairPoor
White (Ladino) Clover
(Trifolium repens)
Ladino*,
Merit, Pilgrim
PCoolI1-5GoodGoodPoor
Alsike Clover
(Trifolium hybridum)
AuroraPCoolI3-5GoodGoodFair
Crownvetch
(Coronilla varia)
Penngift*, Chemung*, EmeraldPCoolI1-5FairFairPoor
Flatpea
(Lathyrus sylvestris)
LathcoPWarmI25-30PoorFairGood
Common Lespedeza
(Lespedeza striata)
Kobe*, Tenn. 76AWarmI10-15GoodFairFair
Sericea Lespedeza
(Lespedeza cuneata)
Interstate,
Serala, Caricea,
Appalow**, Aulotan**
PWarmI10-20FairFairFair
White Sweetclover
(Melilotus alba)
Spanish Evergreen,
Cumino, Hubam,
Polara
BCoolI5-10GoodFairGood
Yellow Sweetclover
(Melilotus. officinalis)
Madrid, Goldtop, YukonBCoolI5-10GoodFairGood
Birdsfoot Trefoil
(Lotus corniculatus)
Fergus*, Empire*
Cascade, Granger,
Tana, Viking*,
Douglas, Mansfield,
Dawn, Norcen*
PCoolI10-15GoodFairFair
Vetch, hairy
(Vicia villosa)
 ACoolI20-30GoodFairFair
1 P - perennial, A - annual, B - biennial 2 N - Native, I - Introduced 3 Seeding rate when used alone; can be reduced when used as component of seed mixture. * Commonly used cultivar   ** Nontraditional cultivars

Go to Section 2 of Table 3.

Return to the Legume Species Used in Reclamation section of Revegetation Species and Practices.

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