Common Name: White Clover

General Information

Trifolium repens is an evergreen perennial plant with creeping stems that form roots at the nodes; it can form dense mats of growth 10 - 50cm tall[, ].
The plant is traditionally harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It is sometimes grown as a green manure and in soil improvement projects, and is sometimes allowed to grow in ornamental lawns, where it is able to flower and also enrich the soil so that the grass grows more lushly.

Known Hazards

This plant has been known to cause problems for grazing animals, though this has never happened in Britain[]. The problem may be associated with the climate in which the plant is growing[]. The species is polymorphic for cyanogenic glycosides[]. The leaves and flowers of certain cyanogenic phenotypes contain a glycoside which releases cyanide on contact with the enzyme linamarase[].

Botanical References

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Range

Eurasia - Norway to Portugal, east to eastern Siberia, central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Levant; N. Africa - Morocco to Egypt

Habitat

Grassland and lawns, preferring a calcareous clay soil[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Perennial
Height	0.10 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Bees
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Trifolium repens has a wide native range from the cold temperate zone to the tropics, and can be found at elevations up to 6,000 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 14 - 22°c, but can tolerate 4 - 26°c[]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -2°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at 0°c[]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 700 - 1,200mm, but tolerates 300 - 2,100mm[].
Succeeds in a moist, well-drained circum-neutral soil, preferring a position in full sun but tolerating light shade[, ]. It prefers a sweet calcareous clay soil. Succeeds in poor soils. Plants have a moderate tolerance of saline soils[].Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 7, tolerating 4.5 - 8.2[].
A very important food plant for the caterpillars of many butterfly and moth species[] it is also a good bee plant[].
Long-lived perennial. Grown as a winter annual in warmer areas. In northern areas, it may be sown in early spring, grazed or cut at intervals of 15-30 days during spring and summer, and harvested for seeds 25-30 days after full bloom in fall. Flowers and fruit from spring to fall in its northern regions[].
White clover probably originated in the eastern Mediterranean region. In Kenya it can be grown at elevations above 1800 m. A good seed yield in New Zealand is about 750 kg/ha. White clover requires phosphates, sulphur, potash, lime and among trace elements molybdenum in particular. Grown with grasses it is easily suppressed by applications of nitrogen which encourage the grasses to become strongly competitive. Dry matter yields are usually between 1-7 t/ha[].
A good companion plant in the lawn, tolerating trampling[, ], but it dislikes growing with henbane or members of the buttercup family[]. 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[].
Polymorphic, there are many subspecies and varieties. Some varieties have also been selected for use in lawn mixes[].
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[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked as a potherb[, , ]. The young leaves are harvested before the plant comes into flower and are used in salads, soups etc[]. They can also be used as a vegetable, cooked like spinach[]. The leaves are best cooked[].

Flowers and seed pods are dried, ground into powder and used as a flour or sprinkled on cooked foods such as boiled rice[]. Very wholesome and nutritious[]. The young flowers can also be used in salads[, , ].

Root - cooked[, ].

The dried leaves impart a vanilla flavour to cakes etc[].

Dried flowering heads are a tea substitute.

Medicinal

The plant is antirheumatic, antiscrophulatic, depurative, detergent and tonic[]. An infusion has been used in the treatment of coughs, colds, fevers and leucorrhoea[].

A tincture of the leaves is applied as an ointment to gout[].

An infusion of the flowers has been used as an eyewash[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Grown for pasture and soil improvement, forage, hay, silage, and cover[].
The plant makes a good green manure, it is useful for over-wintering, especially in a mixture with Lolium perenne[]. Produces a good bulk. It is a host to 'clover rot' however, so should not be used too frequently[]. It can be undersown with cereals or with tomatoes in a greenhouse (sow the seed before planting the tomatoes)[]. Fairly deep rooting but not very fast growing[].
A good fast ground-cover plant for a sunny position[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in spring in situ.
If the seed is in short supply it might be better to sow it in pots in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in late spring.
Division in spring[].