Common Name: Crimson Clover

General Information

Trifolium incarnatum is an erect to ascending, annual plant growing 20 - 90cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is often grown as a green manure crop and in soil reclamation projects.
Trifolium incarnatum is a common species with a widespread distribution and with no major threats. The plant is classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Europe - Scandanavia to Spain, east to Poland, Romania and Bulgaria; W. Asia - Turkey

Habitat

Fields, meadows, pastures and roadsides[]. Subspecies molinerii is a strictly maritime species in the UK, only found within 200 metres of the sea, preferring open habitats such as cliff-slopes that are severely droughted in the summer[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.50 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Bees
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Trifolium incarnatum is a plant of the temperate zone, also cultivated in tropical regions It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 13 - 22°c, but can tolerate 4 - 28°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 700 - 1,000mm, but tolerates 300 - 1,500mm[].
Succeeds in a moist, well-drained circum-neutral soil in full sun, tolerating light shade[, ]. Succeeds in poor soils. Prefers a pH in the range 6 - 7, tolerating 4.8 - 8.3[].
The ssp. Molinerli is the form of this species that is native to Britain, whilst ssp. Incarnatum is naturalized in S. Britain and is the form grown as a green manure crop[].
It grows well in an apple orchard, the trees will produce tastier fruit that stores better[]. It should not be grown with camellias or gooseberries because it harbours a mite that can cause fruit drop in the gooseberries and premature budding in the camellias[].
Grown as an winter-annual in the Colf coast region in the U.S. Autumn sown in Brazil it provides groundcover in 75-95 days, flowers after 110-150 days, and mature in 135-170 days[].
Development of flower stems is initiated when daylength is over 12 hours[].
Dry matter yields may be between 2-4 t/ha[].
Fairly resistant to 'clover rot'[].
This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[]. Buttercups growing nearby depress the growth of the nitrogen bacteria by means of a root exudate[]. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.

Edible Uses

The seeds can be sprouted and eaten in salads[]. They can also be dried and ground into a nutritious flour[].
Dried flower heads are a tea substitute[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

Used for hay, pasture, silage, and soil protection and improvement. Flowers are a source of honey[].

Other Uses

Used as a green manure. It is relatively fast growing, makes an excellent weed suppressing cover and fixes nitrogen[, , , ]. It is also used with grass seed mixes in soil reclamation projects[]. frequently sown in autumn in regions with a mild winter climate, often mixed with rye, oat, ryegrass or vetches[].

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in spring to early summer in situ.
The seed can also be sown in early autumn as a winter green manure.