Red Clover

Trifolium pratense

perennial☀️ full sun💧💧 moderate waterZone 7a – Zone 9b

Red Clover is a short-lived perennial legume with distinctive rosy-purple flower heads that bloom throughout summer. It's widely used as a cover crop and forage plant, and attracts pollinators while improving soil nitrogen naturally.

Overview

Form: Mounding
Growth Rate: fast
Size: 1–2′ tall × 1–1.5′ wide
Dormancy: deciduous

Tolerances & Soil

low

Zone 7aZone 9b

1471013

ColderWarmer

pH Range

6.57.6

7.0

3.556.589

Soil Texture

Coarse, Medium, Fine

Seasonality

Bloom Season

Harvest Season

Season of Interest

SpringSummer

Ground cover

Low spreading plants that carpet the soil.

Succession Role

pioneerearly successional

Native Range

European

Function & Care

biomass/mulchdynamic accumulatorerosion controlmedicinalnitrogen fixerpollinator nectarywildlife benefitedible

Nitrogen Fixer · Moderate

Edible Parts

leafflower

Establishment & Care

Establishment: easy
Maintenance: low
Propagation: seed

Companion Planting

Plants well with

tomato

Solanum lycopersicum

As a nitrogen-fixing legume, red clover improves soil fertility when used as a cover crop or interplanting around tomatoes.

Red Currant

Ribes rubrum

Red clover nitrogen fixation benefits currant nutrient status, and clover can suppress ground-level weeds around the shrub.

Notable Cultivars

Common cultivars include 'Redland' and 'Altaswede', selected for vigor and disease resistance. Some improved cultivars are bred for increased forage yield in agricultural settings.