Trifolium repens Seeds | Dragon Blood Clover
LATIN NAME: Trifolium repens
COMMON NAME: White Clover
Plant Profile
White Clover (Trifolium repens) is a perennial in the pea family. Clover spreads its round, three-parted leaflets and white, rounded flower heads low over ground, and creeping stems root as they go. It is a plant of open, sunny, deep, moist, well-drained ground. The flowering period doubles as a feeding season for bees and other pollinators. Together these qualities explain its long-standing appeal to gardeners.
Science & Biotechnology
Research touching on Trifolium repens ranges from the botany of the pea family to practical horticulture, including seed handling, propagation and the selection of superior forms. Continuing work by breeders and collectors keeps good seed of this species moving through the trade.
Uses & Benefits
In the garden, White Clover earns its place in borders, containers and mixed plantings, and it also rewards growers who raise plants for cutting, drying or kitchen use. It is a fine, steady plant of open, sunny, deep, moist, well-drained garden. Sow in early spring or late summer for sward, and heads will close over in the first season. To grow clover from seed, sow small, brown seeds a little under surface of pot of fine, gritty soil, keep pot in a bright, open spot and water gently, then set young plants out in open 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
Starting White Clover from seed is simple and satisfying. Sow on the surface of a gritty, well-drained mix, cover lightly with fine compost, and maintain gentle, even moisture in a sunny position. When the young plants are big enough to handle, space them into pots or a nursery row and let them size up before their final move.
Our Take
Being a perennial, it asks for a permanent spot and repays it yearly. Give the seed freshness and steady moisture, and nature handles the rest.
Related Reading
More species in the same orbit as White Clover: