Overview

Trifolium is a bushy, matforming, columnar upright herbaceous perennial in the genus Trifolium, part of the Fabaceae family, with deciduous foliage. Trifolium grows best in full sun, and tolerates most soils and any pH. Its UK hardiness is rated H7. Suggested uses include wildflower meadow and wildlife gardens. It is native to Afghanistan, Alabama, Alaska, Albania, Algeria, Altay, Amur, Angola, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Arizona, Arkansas, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, British Columbia, Bulgaria, Burundi, Buryatiya, California, Cameroon, Canary Is., Cape Provinces, Cape Verde, Central European Russia, Chile Central, Chile North, Chile South, China North-Central, Chita, Colombia, Colorado, Corse, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czechia-Slovakia, Delaware, Denmark, District of Columbia, Djibouti, DR Congo, East Aegean Is., East European Russia, East Himalaya, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Finland, Florida, France, Free State, Føroyar, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Gulf of Guinea Is., Gulf States, Hungary, Iceland, Idaho, Illinois, India, Indiana, Inner Mongolia, Iowa, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Irkutsk, Italy, Japan, Kansas, Kazakhstan, Kentucky, Kenya, Khabarovsk, Kirgizstan, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, Kriti, Krym, Kuril Is., KwaZulu-Natal, Lebanon-Syria, Lesotho, Libya, Louisiana, Madagascar, Madeira, Malawi, Manchuria, Maryland, Mauritania, Mexican Pacific Is., Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Mississippi, Missouri, Mongolia, Montana, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nebraska, Nepal, Netherlands, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Carolina, North Caucasus, North European Russia, Northern Provinces, Northwest European Russia, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Palestine, Paraguay, Pennsylvania, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Primorye, Romania, Rwanda, Sakhalin, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Sicilia, Sinai, South Carolina, South Dakota, South European Russia, Spain, Sudan-South Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Tanzania, Tennessee, Texas, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuva, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Utah, Uzbekistan, Virginia, Washington, West Himalaya, West Siberia, West Virginia, Wyoming, Xinjiang, Yakutiya, Yemen, Yukon, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

About

Trifolium is a herbaceous perennial in the family Fabaceae that occurs naturally across a very wide native range including Great Britain. It grows in forms from mat-forming to more upright, columnar habits and can be well-branched. Leaves are deciduous and the plant suits a broad set of soil types and pH levels. It flowers from May to August.

About the genus

Clovers, also called trefoils, are plants of the genus Trifolium. They are herbaceous plants growing up to 30 cm (12 in) tall. The leaves are usually trifoliate and the small flowers are reddish to white or yellow.

Wikipedia contributors, "Clover", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Clover

In the garden

Trifolium belongs to the pea family Fabaceae and has a wide native distribution that includes Great Britain. Plants range from mat-forming ground cover to more columnar, upright clumps and may develop a well-branched outline where conditions suit; the foliage is deciduous. Give Trifolium a sunny spot—full sun is ideal—and protect it from strong exposure by siting it in a sheltered position on an east-, south- or west-facing aspect. It tolerates a broad selection of soils: chalk, clay, loam and sand, and will grow in acid, neutral or alkaline ground provided drainage is reasonable. Aim for soil that is moist but well drained or simply well drained rather than waterlogged. Trifolium carries a UK hardiness rating of H7, meaning it is fully hardy and survives normal winter conditions across the UK without winter protection. Use it where summer flowering and wildlife value are wanted: it performs well in wildflower meadows and wildlife gardens and can be incorporated into lower-maintenance sunny borders or grassy mixes. It flowers between May and August, providing a summer display suited to meadow and wildlife planting schemes.

Growing conditions

Best soil and position for Trifolium

Sunlight

Full sun

Soil type

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Soil pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

Soil moisture

Moist but well-drained, Well-drained

Aspect

East-facing, South-facing, West-facing

Exposure

Sheltered

UK hardiness

H7

Plant details

Trifolium size, habit and characteristics

Plant type

Herbaceous Perennial

Habit

Bushy, Matforming, Columnar upright

Foliage

Deciduous

Suggested uses

Wildflower meadow, Wildlife gardens

Native to

Afghanistan, Alabama, Alaska, Albania, Algeria, Altay, Amur, Angola, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Arizona, Arkansas, Austria, Azores, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, British Columbia, Bulgaria, Burundi, Buryatiya, California, Cameroon, Canary Is., Cape Provinces, Cape Verde, Central European Russia, Chile Central, Chile North, Chile South, China North-Central, Chita, Colombia, Colorado, Corse, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czechia-Slovakia, Delaware, Denmark, District of Columbia, Djibouti, DR Congo, East Aegean Is., East European Russia, East Himalaya, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Finland, Florida, France, Free State, Føroyar, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Gulf of Guinea Is., Gulf States, Hungary, Iceland, Idaho, Illinois, India, Indiana, Inner Mongolia, Iowa, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Irkutsk, Italy, Japan, Kansas, Kazakhstan, Kentucky, Kenya, Khabarovsk, Kirgizstan, Korea, Krasnoyarsk, Kriti, Krym, Kuril Is., KwaZulu-Natal, Lebanon-Syria, Lesotho, Libya, Louisiana, Madagascar, Madeira, Malawi, Manchuria, Maryland, Mauritania, Mexican Pacific Is., Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Mississippi, Missouri, Mongolia, Montana, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nebraska, Nepal, Netherlands, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, North Carolina, North Caucasus, North European Russia, Northern Provinces, Northwest European Russia, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Oregon, Pakistan, Palestine, Paraguay, Pennsylvania, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Primorye, Romania, Rwanda, Sakhalin, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Sicilia, Sinai, South Carolina, South Dakota, South European Russia, Spain, Sudan-South Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Tanzania, Tennessee, Texas, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuva, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Uganda, Ukraine, Uruguay, Utah, Uzbekistan, Virginia, Washington, West Himalaya, West Siberia, West Virginia, Wyoming, Xinjiang, Yakutiya, Yemen, Yukon, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Care notes

Pruning and caring for Trifolium

Propagation

Seed

Pest resistance

Generally pest-free

Disease resistance

Generally disease-free

Frequently asked questions