Trifolium repens Seeds | White Clover
LATIN NAME: Trifolium repens
COMMON NAME: White Clover
Plant Profile
Trifolium repens, commonly known as White Clover, is a perennial in the pea family. Plant spreads by rooting runners and makes dense, living mat, and it likes sun or light shade, and moist, well-drained soil. It is the sort of plant that quietly justifies the space it occupies.
Science & Biotechnology
Within the pea family, Trifolium repens is of continuing interest to researchers working on plant diversity, seed biology and the selection of improved garden forms. Nitrogen-fixing roots of white clover give it a long place in research on grassland legumes of pea family, and repens species appears in studies of pasture value and rooting-runner spread. Centuries of cultivation have left a detailed record of how it grows and behaves.
Uses & Benefits
White Clover works well in borders, containers and dedicated beds. In lawn and meadow, white clover carpets meadow with white flower heads. Flowers feed bees, roots enrich ground for grass and crops, and plant holds soil and serves pasture for generations. It grows well in moist, well-drained, sunny or lightly shaded ground. Getting it going is easy; keeping it going is easier still.
Clovers are the engine of pasture fertility, fixing nitrogen for free, and red clover blossom is a standard Western herb rich in isoflavones studied for menopausal comfort.
Growing from Seed
Seed is the natural starting point for White Clover, and the process is uncomplicated. Surface-sow onto a light, well-drained compost, dust over a thin covering, and keep evenly moist and sunny until the seedlings show. Prick the seedlings out once they are large enough to handle, grow them on in bright light, and plant out when conditions allow.
Our Take
White Clover earns its space through character rather than fuss. Sun, free drainage and a patient first year are all it really requires.
Related Reading
More species in the same orbit as White Clover: