White Sweetclover
Melilotus albus
Also listed as Melilotus leucanthus, Sertula alba
Also known as White Melilot, Bokhara Clover, Sweetclover
Climate Match for your location
See how well White Sweetclover grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
White Sweetclover is a tall, fast-growing biennial or short-lived perennial with fragrant white flower spikes that attract pollinators. It is drought-tolerant and often used for cover cropping and soil improvement.
Why grow it
White Sweetclover establishes quickly on marginal or degraded soils where many legumes struggle, making it useful for rapid biomass production and nitrogen fixation in cover crop rotations. Its deep taproot can break compacted soil layers more effectively than shallow-rooted alternatives. Compared to yellow sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis), the white variety tends to be slightly less persistent, which may be advantageous in systems where you want temporary soil improvement without long-term management.
Watch out for
Because sweetclover germinates readily from seed and persists in soil seed banks, volunteer plants may appear in subsequent seasons and can require repeated removal if not desired. The plant's prolific self-seeding means intentional cultivation should be followed by either mechanical termination or close monitoring to prevent unplanned spread into adjacent plantings.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Fabaceae
Native Range
Mediterranean
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
White Sweetclover is a tall, fast-growing biennial or short-lived perennial with fragrant white flower spikes that attract pollinators. It is drought-tolerant and often used for cover cropping and soil improvement.
Climate Match for your location
See how well White Sweetclover grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
White Sweetclover establishes quickly on marginal or degraded soils where many legumes struggle, making it useful for rapid biomass production and nitrogen fixation in cover crop rotations. Its deep taproot can break compacted soil layers more effectively than shallow-rooted alternatives. Compared to yellow sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis), the white variety tends to be slightly less persistent, which may be advantageous in systems where you want temporary soil improvement without long-term management.
Watch out for
Because sweetclover germinates readily from seed and persists in soil seed banks, volunteer plants may appear in subsequent seasons and can require repeated removal if not desired. The plant's prolific self-seeding means intentional cultivation should be followed by either mechanical termination or close monitoring to prevent unplanned spread into adjacent plantings.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Fabaceae
Native Range
Mediterranean
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Herb
Soft non-woody plants of the field layer.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
Similar herbs you might consider:
Enter your ZIP code to see top native species and strong climate fits for you.