Trifolium repens , or Clover, is a prostrate, mat-forming herbaceous perennial about four to six inches tall and spreading 12 inches or more by stems that root freely. Known for its 3-leaflet pattern and white flower heads, it is commonly considered a lawn weed. Native to Europe, the plant has naturalized to lawns and roadsides and fields throughout North America, and is frequently used as a cover crop due to its ability to fix nitrogen in the soil. It also provides good forage for livestock. Easily grown from seed, Clover responds to mowing with aggressive growth and spreads aggressively by rooting at nodes forming mats up to 12 inches wide. It likes moist soil, sun to part shade. The white flowers protrude above the leaves and generally measure 4 to 6 inches tall. Diseases, Insects, and Other Plant Problems: No serious diseases or insect problems. Clover is a host to 'clover rot' and should not be used too frequently as a cover crop.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 4 in. - 0 ft. 6 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
5 - Groundcover (<1 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Creeping; Prostrate
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Obovate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf value
Edible; Long-lasting
Leaf size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Trifoliate (three-part), green leaves, sometimes with red or purplish tones or flecks of white, 1/4 inch to 3/4 inch long and half as wide. It has 3 leaflets joined in the center. Each leaflet is green with a white crescent in the center and a midrib crease. At the base of each petiole there are a pair of light green small lanceolate stipules.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Edible; Long Bloom Season; Long-lasting; Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Globular, 1/2 inch white flowers with leaves on separate stems. The spherical to slightly egg-shaped flower heads consist of 40 to 100 florets.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Legume
Fruit detail
Four to six tiny seeds in a brown pod.
Stem color
White
Stem detail
Branching square stems with a creeping habit grow 4" to 12" long. They root at the stem nodes. Flowers bloom on 2 inch to 12 inch stems.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Europe
Distribution
Throughout United States.
Wildlife value
This plant supports Clouded Sulfur (Colias philodice) larvae which appear from May to October in the North and from March to November in the South. There are 3 flights in the North and 4 to 5 flights in the South. Adult Clouded Sulfur butterflies feed on flower nectar from many different plants. Attractive to native and honey bees. Used as forage for livestock.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Moths; Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves; Flowers; Seeds
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Legume
Edibility
All parts are edible and can be eaten raw or cooked. Dried flowers used in tea, young leaves used in salads. The young leaves can also be used as a vegetable, cooked like spinach. Flowers and seed pods are dried, ground into powder and used as a flour or sprinkled on cooked foods. The dried leaves impart a vanilla flavor to cakes.
Uses (ethnobotany)
May be used as a cover crop to supply nitrogen and as erosion control in moist soils.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Meadow; Naturalized Area; Recreational Play Area; Slope/Bank