Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Trifolium

Species:

Trifolium longipes

USDA Symbol:

TRLO

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

40 cm

Light Requirements:

Full Sun

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

may,jun,jul,aug

Bloom Colors:

pink, purple, white

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Butterflies & Moths:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)

Caterpillars:

★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)

Keystone Species Ranking

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

★★☆☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

Reported Fauna Sightings

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, butterflies, small mammals

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from root crown following fire; common in fire-maintained meadows and grasslands.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

moist, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

good drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers alpine and subalpine meadows

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

14–30 days

Notes:

Scarification of hard seed coat improves germination. Inoculation with Rhizobium bacteria beneficial for establishment.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI