Pasture with white clover - Photo by Harry Rose
White clover can be grown as a companion crop among lawn grasses. It tolerates close mowing and is considered to be a beneficial component of lawn care because it can fix nitrogen and competes with lawn weeds.
White clover is also a good forage crop for livestock.
The leaves are edible and can be used raw in salads or can be boiled to make them easier to digest.
Names
Scientific
Trifolium repens
English
Dutch clover
White clover
Dutch
Witte klaver
Spanish
Trébol blanco
French
Trèfle blanc
Trèfle rampant
German
Kriech-Klee
Weiß-Klee
Italian
Trifoglio bianco
Trifoglio ladino
Trifoglio rampicante
Taxonomy
Genus
Trifolium
Family
Fabaceae
Order
Fabales
Basic information and facts
Origin:
While clover is native to Europe and Central Asia.
Distribution:
Worldwide distribution
Annual, biennial, or perennial:
White clover is a herbaceous, perennial plant.
Flowers:
At the end of 7 cm long flower stalks, heads of white flowers with a width of 1.5 to 2 centimeters. Older flowers may show some pinkish or cream color.
Leaves:
Trifoliate leaves. The leaves are elliptic or egg-shaped and often have light or dark markings.
Climate and weather:
Grows best in temperate climate.
Propagation:
Propagated from seed.
Uses:
White clover can be grown together with lawn grasses, which are enhanced by its ability to fix nitrogen and to compete with lawn weeds. It is also a good forage crop for livestock and a source of pollen and nectar for bees.
The leaves are edible and can be used raw in salads or can be boiled for example in soups.
Proverbs and Quotes
- If a man who cannot count finds a four-leaf clover, is he lucky? (Stanislaw J. Lec)
- Many an opportunity is lost because a man is out looking for four-leaf clovers.
- A friend is like a four leaf clover, hard to find but lucky to keep.
Did you know that?
- White clover leaves are normally trifoliate, but sometimes a four-leaf clover is found. According to tradition, these leaves bring good luck to their finders. They are called “lucky clover” or “lucky leaf”.
- In lucky clover, the first leaf represents “faith”, the second represents “hope”, the third “love”, and the fourth “luck”.
Crop categories
Forage and fodder crops
Green manures
Legumes
Temperate crops
Pictures
Pasture with white clover - Photo by Harry Rose
White clover leaves - Photo by Harry Rose
White clover with honeybee - Photo by Maja Dumat
White clover bloom - Photo by William Warby
White clover - Photo by Free Photos