White clover

Sun

Full sun to light partial shade; flowering and growth are weaker in deep shade.

Water

Moderate; water during establishment and prolonged dry spells. Established plants tolerate brief drought but may brown off in hot, dry weather.

Soil

Moist, well-drained loam or clay loam; tolerates a broad range of soils but performs poorly in strongly acidic soil or prolonged waterlogging.

Height

4-8 in (0.1-0.2 m), including flowers

Spread

1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m) per patch initially; rooting stems can eventually cover a much larger area.

Flowers

Late spring to autumn in suitable conditions; rounded white flower heads, sometimes tinged pink, turn brown as they age.

Foliage

Three rounded leaflets, often marked with a pale crescent, on long stalks. Usually evergreen in mild climates, but may lose foliage in severe cold or summer drought.

Growth

Fast in mild, moist weather

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.1 ft (0.04 m)

2. After 1 year

   0.4 ft (0.11 m)

3. After 2 years

   0.5 ft (0.15 m)

   full size

About 2 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Native to

the UK

Invasive in

Australia

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Fast

• Sow shallowly onto a firm, weed-free surface and keep the soil moist until seedlings establish.
• Water established patches during prolonged drought if you want them to remain green.
• Avoid routine nitrogen feeding; it encourages competing grasses and is usually unnecessary for clover.
• Use a soil test before adding lime or other nutrients, especially where growth is poor.
• Pull or edge out creeping stems before they root in adjoining beds.

Pruning. Mow mixed clover lawns to about 3-4 in (0.08-0.1 m), avoiding repeated close scalping. Leave some areas unmown during flowering for bees, and trim spreading edges whenever needed.

Early spring

Check soil drainage and remove weeds from areas intended for sowing.

Spring

Sow when soil is warming and moisture is reliable; keep the surface moist through germination.

Late spring

Begin light mowing once plants are well rooted, leaving some flowering patches untouched.

Summer

Water during extended drought if needed and remove runners entering beds.

Early autumn

Overseed thin patches while soil is warm and rain is likely.

Winter

Avoid heavy traffic on frozen or waterlogged ground.

• Mix with fine fescues or perennial ryegrass for informal turf with seasonal flowers and reduced nitrogen fertiliser needs.
• Use beneath widely spaced fruit trees where there is enough light, keeping a clear area around trunks.
• Create mown paths through taller informal planting, provided traffic is light to moderate.
• Plant in a contained flowering groundcover patch beside a vegetable garden to provide forage for bees.

Garden styles it suits: Cottage garden, Wildlife garden, Pollinator garden, Low-maintenance, Backyard orchard and Homestead.

Plant it with: Fine fescues, Perennial ryegrass, Self-heal, English daisy, Apple trees and Pear trees.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar and pollen for honeybees and bumblebees. Rabbits and deer may graze the foliage. Flowering clover attracts bees at foot level, so use caution where people walk barefoot.

• Summer browning: heat and dry soil can cause dormancy or patch loss; water deeply during extended drought or allow recovery when cooler, wetter weather returns.
• Poor growth in shade: thin patches develop beneath dense trees or buildings; increase light or choose a shade-tolerant groundcover.
• Slugs and snails: seedlings may be eaten; remove sheltering debris and protect new sowings with barriers or locally approved bait.
• Leaf spots and rust: affected leaves develop spots or orange-brown pustules; remove badly affected clippings, improve airflow and avoid frequent overhead watering.

Not generally considered poisonous to people, cats or dogs in small incidental amounts, although eating it may cause stomach upset. Leaves and stems can contain cyanogenic compounds, so large amounts should not be assumed safe for grazing animals, including horses. Mold-infected clover can cause excessive salivation in horses, and some clover-associated molds can cause more serious illness. Do not offer garden clippings as animal feed.

Where it spreads. Spreads readily by rooting stems and seed in lawns, borders and disturbed ground across the United States, southern Canada and temperate Australia. It can displace low-growing plants and is an environmental weed in parts of Australia. It is native in the United Kingdom, but can still be an unwanted, persistent lawn or border weed.

• Alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum)

  Has more upright stems, usually unmarked leaflets and pink-and-white flower heads; it does not form the same network of creeping, rooting stems.

• Red clover (Trifolium pratense)

  Usually taller and hairier, with larger pink-purple flower heads and more elongated leaflets; flower heads sit close to the upper leaves.

• Creeping woodsorrel (Oxalis corniculata)

  Has distinctly heart-shaped leaflets and small, five-petalled yellow flowers rather than rounded heads of white flowers.

Trifolium means 'three-leaved', repens means 'creeping', and white clover refers to its usually white flower heads.

Propagation. Sow seed in spring or early autumn when moisture is reliable. Press seed into the surface or cover only very lightly. Rooted sections of creeping stems can also be lifted and replanted in spring or autumn.

Accepted botanical name

Trifolium repens

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Hawaii, the lower 48 states and St. Pierre and Miquelon.

Native range

Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Altay, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria and Buryatiya.

Measured

Soil pH 6 to 7. Average height 10 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.