I believe that these flowers are Birds-Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus); there are pea pods, and I understand that it’s a forage crop and also useful for erosion control along the roadsides. However I did see the name on a Minnesota DNR list of invasive species. I do like the flowers, brightly colored and nicely shaped.

I have manipulated the texture and contrast. I took many photos of these flowers while my husband and I, with other members of our ham radio club, were working as communication volunteers for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s fund-raiser. (The walk-run was to start at 9:00, we’d thought, but the participants got a late start…and there were these flowers in scattered clumps around my assigned station. And I had three cameras with me.)