Trifolium incarnatum seed
Season: Perennial
USDA Zones: 6 – 9
Height: 24 – 30 inches
Bloom Season: Early to mid summer
Bloom Color: Red
Environment: Full sun
Soil Type: Well-drained, sandy, pH 6.2 – 7.5
Temperature: 65 – 70F
Average Germ Time: 14 – 30 days
Light Required: Yes
Depth: 1/16 inch
Moisture: Keep seeds moist until germination
Crimson Clover is a beautiful flowering legume that produces crimson red florets. The Flower heads are roughly 1 to 2.5 inches in length and a good 3/4 inch to an inch wide. The foliage is green and appealing to the eye, measuring 24 to 36 inches tall. Crimson Clover flowers are known to produce an abundance of nectar, attracting all sorts of beneficial insects to the garden. You will find that honeybees, bumblebees, butterflies & hummingbirds will cling to these beauties. Crimson Clover is grown as an annual cover crop. Annuals will establish themselves from seed, growing quickly and blooming profusely through the warm months of Summer. Crimson Clover plants are also known as scarlet flower, German clover, Italian clover, French clover and carnation clover. They are well established in to Southern states as a winter annual, due to their ability to grow in cooler temperatures. In the Northern states, Crimson Clover is established as a summer annual. Crimson Clover is also known to produce generous amounts of hay when harvested before the mid-bloom stage. The plants can be very beneficial to livestock and are extremely nutritious, offering up to 25% of crude protein.
Growing Instructions
- Prepare a mixture of half potting soil and half sand, perlite or vermiculite. Water the mixture so that it is moist but not wet.
- Put the seeds on the soil.
- Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil.
- Water the seeds.
- Place the pots in an area with warm temperatures in full sun or part shade.
- When the seedlings are a few inches tall, they can be transplanted.