Today we will discuss Trifolium repens commonly known as white clover. So white clover is in the pea family, Fabaceae and it’s in the genus Trifolium. So it has, three folium leaves and if you look at the three leaves you’ll see the three bright green triangles, and that will help take you into this species.
So the scientific name for this is Trifolium Repens. Repens words derived from the Latin language that means crawling. It is the most cultivated variety of clover. It is widely introduced worldwide as plant material eaten by grazing livestock.
There are various varieties of Trifolium repens often classified as small, intermediate, and large, according to height, which reflects petiole (stalk that is attached to the leaf blade to stem) length. Commonly it is known as white clover in general, Dutch clover refers to smaller varieties, and ladino clover term used for large varieties
Trifolium repens is a low-growing plant with a flower on the head. This is more above ground so the stems actually crawl above ground and then they root down at different nodules to produce new flowers
however, it also reproduces by seed and it is a favorite of honeybees that’s one of the reasons why it’s redrawn my eye, and wanting to do a floral Friday on this plant because in the garden I’ve been noticing all the honeybees on it and just having that flute feast and it is an absolute favorite of the honeybees apparently the nectar contains 40 percent sugar which is really high sugar content
where a coke for instance allegedly contains about 11 percent sugar which is all very high but 40 percent sugar in the nectar of the clover the white clover and that partly 27 percent protein so what is really great about this plant as many other plants do if they put up their colors are what will attract their pollinators Crassula umbella
also from an effort botanical point of view red clover has been eaten as a pot herb and it’s very nutritious but you have to be careful because it has compounds in it that produce cyanide in the body like apple pits and peach pits and
Things like that also in India have been used as a firm of huge to help get rid of worms and science has apparently verified that now Western science has verified that yes it does help get rid of the worms so enjoy your white clover Trifolium repens.
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Table of Contents
White clover leaves
White clover has compound leaves which means each leaf is made up of three leaflets attached to to central stalk which is called a petiole.
The leaflets are ovlet to elliptical in shape generally 1-2 cm long and 0.5-1.5 cm wide. The texture of leaflet has a smooth texture on the upper surface while the lower surface can be hairy and may be paler.
The color of white clover leaves depends on various factors like age, region, and growing conditions. Generally, the white clover leaves are vibrant green.
White Clover flowers
White Clover flowers consist of various tiny white florets arranged in a spherical or elongated shape. Flowers are small in size and their diameter is about 0.5 to 1.5 cm. They are clustered together densely as round flower heads on slender stems.
Flowers predominantly appear white in color but the petals are often tinged with pink or light purple at the base. Whale Fin Sansevieria Plant
White Clover flowers produce a sweet fragrance generally noticeable on a bright warm sunny day
Bloom time for clover flowers is generally in early summer time or it prefer a warm environment to bloom.
How to plant white clover
Planting white clover is a very easy process like other plants. Here is the general guide to growing it:-
- Choose a sunny or half-shaded area along with well-drained soil. it can tolerate 4.5 to 8.2 pH level soil.
- Prepare the soil by removing rocks and debris, weeds. Loosen the soil up to 4-6 inches deep with the help of any digging tool or tiller.
- Add organic matter such as compost or vermicompost.
- We can show the seed of white clover directly into the prepared surface. Scattered the seed thoroughly. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil.
- Water the seed gently to maintain the moisture content. but don’t overwater the seeds.
- Germination takes place between 7-14 days.
- Once the white clover seedling is established reduce watering frequency.
- white clover plants generally don’t require fertilizer because it is a nitrogen-fixing legume but if the soil doesn’t have as many nutrients as required you can apply balanced fertilizer.
- Regularly mowing white clover plants up to 3-4 inches promotes dense growth
Benefits of white clover
There are various benefits of while clover plant as mentioned below:-
- White clover is called nitrogen fixer plant as it has nitrogen-fixing bacteria in its root nodules.
- plant helps in improving soil structure, aeration, and water infiltration. white clover helps to reduce soil erosion.
- White clovers are highly nutrient plants for grazing livestock, they provide protein-rich forage for livestock.
- White clover flowers are highly nectar level which attracts the bees and that further improves the pollination if we grow it in our orchard.
- White clover grows densely which forms a dense mat and it reduce the growth of weeds.
- We can grow white clover on the lawn, it maintains a green appearance when the traditional grass may go on dormancy
- White clover helps to increase microbial activity in the soil if incorporated into the soil and decomposed into green manure.
White clover health benefits
Now we will discuss white clover’s medicinal uses, it has various medical uses especially traditional herbal medicine.
- White clover has antioxidant properties due to the presence of flavonoids and phenolic compounds.
- Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, it is beneficial to manage inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, asthma, and inflammatory bowel diseases.
- In traditional herbal medicine, it has been used for the purification of the blood by removing toxins and impurities.
- White clover has been used for the improvement of respiratory health such as coughs, colds, and bronchitis.
- It has been used for skin care treatments such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne. It is believed to have a soothing effect when applied topically.
- white clover is believed to have Diuretic Properties to remove the excess fluid and waste product from the body.
- White clover has mild laxative properties which will help in digestion especially reduce bloating and indigestion.
How to kill white clover or how to get rid of white clover on the lawn
White clover killer or removing white clover from your traditional law can be a hectic task. You can do hand pulling for the removal of white clover. Regular Mowing can also help to reduce its growth.
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You can choose a herbicide that targets broadleaf weeds like white clover. You can use herbicides such as 2,4-D, Dicamba, MCPA (2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid), Triclopyr, Clopyralid, and Glyphosate. Dictamnus albus
We can use corn gluten meal which is a natural herbicide to control its growth. Overseeding your lawn can prevent the entry of white clover into your lawn.
A thick layer of organic mulch like wood chips, or sawdust can help to prevent the growth of white clover.
For more information you can this video based on white clover
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Is Trifolium repens a perennial?
yes, Trifolium repens commonly named white clover is a perennial plant which means those plants that live for more than two years are called perennial. This plant regrown from the same root year after year.
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is white clover edible? /can you eat white clover
yes, we can eat white clover. Historically it has been consumed for its nutritional value such as we can eat its leaves and flowers in raw form. We can cook it as a vegetable or in the form of soup and other cooked dishes. White clover flowers and leaves can be dried and consumed as a herbal tea. Seeds of this plant can be sprouted and used in salads.
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how tall does white clover grow
White clover plants can grow up to 10 -20 cm in height when left unmowed. However, its height can depend on climate conditions, soil type, moisture content, and other growing conditions.