Red clover

Red clover
by Radim Holiš,
[CC BY-SA 3.0 cz], via Wikimedia Commons

Red clover is a legume that is often grown as a fodder crop or as a green manure. It is also used to make a sweet-tasting herbal tea.

Names

Scientific
   Trifolium pratense
English
   Red clover
Dutch
   Rode klaver
Spanish
   Trébol rojo
   Trébol violeta
French
   Trèfle violet
   Tr&egravefle des prés
German
   Rot-Klee
   Wiesen-Klee
Italian
   Trifoglio dei prati
   Trifoglio rosso
   Trifoglio violetto

Taxonomy

Genus
   Trifolium
Family
   Fabaceae
Order
   Fabales

Basic information and facts

Origin:

Red clover is native to Europe, Western Asia and Northwest Africa.

Distribution:

Europe, Western Asia, Northwest Africa, North America, Australia en New Zealand.

Annual, biennial, or perennial:

It is a perennial plant.

Flowers:

Pink or red flowers are round or egg shaped.

Leaves:

Trifoliate leaves. in the middle of the leaflets a light green or whitish spot.

Climate and weather:

Prefers temperate climate.

Height:

Usually 15 to 50 centimeters tall.

Propagation:

By seed.

Uses:

Red clover is grown as a fodder crop or as a green manure. It can also be used to make a sweet-tasting herbal tea. It is used in traditional medicine of India (e.g. as sedative, and anti-inflammatory). It is also promoted as a treatment for various human diseases in alternative medicine (e.g. to treat coughs).

Crop categories

Forage and fodder crops
Green manures
Legumes
Temperate crops

Pictures