Trifolium incarnatum seed
LATIN NAME: Trifolium incarnatum
COMMON NAME: Crimson Clover
Crimson clover paints the spring meadows a deep, rich red. The fine, upright, branching annual carries the soft, trifoliate leaves, and the dense, cylindrical heads of the tiny, crimson-red, pea-like flowers rise on the slender stems through the late spring, one of the great red shows of the meadow. The small, one-seeded pods follow, and the plant is one of the most planted of the cover crops and the green manures of the cool-temperate world. It is a fine, easy, generous plant of the open, sunny, well-drained ground, and the bees love it. It is a plant of the ordinary, well-tilled soil.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
Crimson clover keeps a regular place in the plant science, and the plant has been studied for the dense, cylindrical heads of the crimson-red flowers and its fine place among the nitrogen-fixing cover crops. The way the plant feeds the soil through the nodules on its roots has been studied at length, and the clover keeps showing up in the work on the green manures and the pasture plants of the cool-temperate regions. The soft, trifoliate leaves and the one-seeded pods have also made it a regular subject of the studies of the clovers, and the dense, red heads hold a fine, steady place in the work on the bee plants.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Crimson clover pays its way in the meadow and the field both. The dense, cylindrical heads of the crimson-red flowers are one of the great sights of the late spring, and they feed the bees and the butterflies through a fine, busy season. The plant feeds the soil through the nitrogen fixed in its roots, and it is one of the most planted of the cover crops and the green manures of the world, turned under to enrich the ground for the crops that follow. It has been written about in the agricultural papers for its fine, easy growth and its work in the soil, and it is a fine, generous plant of the open, sunny, well-drained garden.
Crimson clover is one of the most planted of the cover crops, and the dense, cylindrical heads of the tiny, crimson-red flowers are one of the great red shows of the late-spring meadow. The soft, trifoliate leaves and the fine, upright habit give the plant a neat, generous look.
To grow the crimson clover from seed, sprinkle the small, round seeds over trays of moist, free-draining soil and press them in lightly, keep them in a bright, open spot and water gently. The seedlings appear within a couple of weeks and grow on fast. With the sun and the ordinary, well-drained ground, the dense, crimson-red heads will be there through the late spring.
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.