Trifolium pratense L.

Red Clover

Herb

Biennial

Vascular

Red Clover is an introduced herbaceous short-lived perennial in the Bean family (Fabaceae). It is native to Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. Red Clover can be found throughout Alabama, but is uncommon in the southern half of the state. It occurs on roadsides, in fields, in pastures, in lawns, and in other open sunny sites. It is a perennial with a tap root. Stems are erect to sprawling, 1-2 feet in height, green in color, branched from the base, and glabrous to pilose or villous. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, and palmately trifoliate. The leaflets are elliptic to obovate in outline, entire, and pubescent on both surfaces. There is usually a whitish or light green triangle on the upper surface of the leaflet. Flowers are produced in globose to ovoid heads that are sessile or on short peduncles from the axils of the upper leaves. The calyx is tubular, 10-nerved, pubescent, and 5 lobed. The lobes are subulate. The corolla is pink, pinkish purple, or rarely white in color. The standard (upper petal) is longer than the other petals. The fruit is an oblong 1-seeded legume. Red Clover is a larval food plant for the Eastern Tailed-Blue (Cupido comyntas), Clouded Sulfur (Colias philodice), and Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) Butterflies. It is widely planted for forage, hay, and green manure. It is also used as a winter cover crop and for erosion control.—A. Diamond

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Not Native FACU- (NWPL)

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