Nodding Clover

Trifolium cernuum

Native to:
Azores, Corse, France, Madeira, Morocco, Portugal, Spain
Nodding Clover

Marco Iocchi

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Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Fabaceae
Genus:
Trifolium
Species:
Trifolium cernuum
USDA Symbol:
TRCE9

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Annual
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
40 cm
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
Low
Bloom Months:
may,jun,jul,aug
Bloom Colors:
white, pink

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:
★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
Butterflies & Moths:
★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Keystone Species Ranking

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:
★★☆☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
bees, butterflies

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
moist, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
good drainage required
Moisture:
consistently moist

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:
Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days
Scarification:
Seed coat scarification required before sowing
Germination Time:
7–21 days
Notes:
Scarification improves germination rates due to hard seed coat typical of Trifolium species.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI