Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Fabaceae

Genus:

Trifolium

Species:

Trifolium plumosum

USDA Symbol:

TRPL2

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Growth Habit:

Forb/herb

Height:

40 cm

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)

Keystone Species Ranking

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

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

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, butterflies, livestock forage

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from root crown following fire; typical of intermountain grassland and sagebrush ecosystems with periodic fire.

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

excellent drainage required

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

prefers open, sunny locations

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

14–28 days

Notes:

Scarification of hard seed coat improves germination. Cold stratification beneficial but not always required.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI