Red Clover
Trifolium pratense
- Native to:
- Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Austria, Azores, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, Føroyar, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Krym, Labrador, Madeira, Morocco, Nepal, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sardegna, Sicilia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Türkiye-in-Europe, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
Ivar Leidus
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Fabaceae
- Genus:
- Trifolium
- Species:
- Trifolium pratense
- USDA Symbol:
- TRPR2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Biennial | Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Forb/herb
- Height:
- 80 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun,jul,aug,sep
- Bloom Colors:
- pink, red, magenta
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
Acrolophus popeanella, Acronicta dactylina, Alfalfa Looper (Autographa californica), American wainscot (Hydraecia immanis), Ancylis metamelana, Aristotelia roseosuffusella, Bertha armyworm (Mamestra configurata), Brown-tail moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea), Coleophora deauratella, corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), Dargida procinctus, Eversmann's rustic (Actebia fennica), Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), flax tortrix (Cnephasia asseclana), Grapholita conversana, Green Cloverworm Moth (Hypena scabra), Hyppa xylinoides, Io moth (Automeris io), Lucerne Moth (Nomophila nearctica), Obliquebanded leafroller (Choristoneura rosaceana), Olethreutes bipartitana, Setaceous Hebrew Character (Xestia c-nigrum), sparganothis fruitworm moth (Sparganothis sulfureana), stalk borer moth (Papaipema nebris), Syncopacma palpilineella, Northern Cloudywing (Thorybes pylades), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Queen Alexandra's Sulphur (Colias alexandra), Southern Cloudywing (Thorybes bathyllus)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Black-tailed bumble bee (Bombus melanopygus), Bombus californicus, Bombus Latreille, Central bumble bee (Bombus centralis), Common eastern (Bombus impatiens), Fernald cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus flavidus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Indiscriminate cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus insularis), Lemon cuckoo (Bombus citrinus), Nevada bumble bee (Bombus nevadensis), Northern amber (Bombus borealis), Obscure bumble bee (Bombus caliginosus), Orange-tipped Wood-digger Bee (Anthophora terminalis), Pyrobombus Dalla, Red-belted bumble (Bombus rufocinctus), 🛑Rusty-patched bumble (Bombus affinis), Southern plains bumble bee (Bombus fraternus), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), ⚠️Western honey bee (Apis mellifera), White-shouldered bumble bee (Bombus appositus), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii) Moths:Coleophora deauratella, corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea) Butterflies:American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis), Aphrodite Fritillary (Argynnis aphrodite), Atalopedes Scudder, Atlantis Fritillary (Argynnis atlantis), Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes), Cabbage White (Pieris rapae), California ringlet (Coenonympha california), Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus canadensis), Cecropterus Herrich-Schäffer, Cecropterus lyciades, Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice), Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae), Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia), Common Wood-Nymph (Cercyonis pegala), Crescents (Phyciodes Hübner), Dun Skipper (Euphyes vestris), Eastern Giant Swallowtail (Heraclides cresphontes), Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Pterourus glaucus), Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus), Essex Skipper (Thymelicus lineola), Field Skipper (Atalopedes campestris), Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus), Great Spangled (Argynnis cybele), Hobomok Skipper (Lon hobomok), Julia butterfly (Dione vanillae), Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor), Little Glassywing (Vernia verna), Lon taxiles, Long Dash Skipper (Polites mystic), Meadow Fritillary (Boloria bellona), Northern Broken-Dash (Polites egeremet), Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos), Peck's Skipper (Polites coras), Peck's skipper (Polites peckius), Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor), Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus), Silvery Checkerspot (Chlosyne nycteis), Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe), Southern Broken-Dash (Polites otho), Spicebush Swallowtail (Pterourus troilus), Tawny-edged Skipper (Polites themistocles), Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia), Wild Indigo Duskywing (Erynnis baptisiae), Zabulon Skipper (Lon zabulon), Zabulon Skipper (Poanes zabulon)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies, birds
- Fragrant:
- Yes
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- fertile, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- good drainage preferred
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers nutrient-rich soils in meadows and grasslands
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Scarification:
- Seed coat scarification required before sowing
- Germination Time:
- 7–21 days
- Notes:
- Scarification improves germination. Inoculation with Rhizobium trifolii beneficial for nitrogen fixation.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI