White Clover

(Trifolium repens L.)

Fabaceae (Legume Family)

▲▼ smaller white clover plants

▲▼ larger white clover plants, with flowers

▲▼ white clover flowers

White Clover: (pp. 322-323 in Weeds of the Great Plains; pp. 236-237, 370-371 in Weeds of the Northeast)

·         creeping perennial legume which produces stolons to allow spread; grows 3-18” tall

·         3 (sometimes more) leaflets per leaf attached to long petiole

·         produces white or pink ball-like cluster of tiny flowers held above leaf canopy

·         reproduces some by seed, but more by spreading out

·         prefers adequate moisture soils, full sun, but may grow about anywhere but very dry sites; tends to die back in dry summer periods

·          water-repellent leaf surfaces may make it less sensitive to some post-emergent herbicide applications

·         common turfgrass weed—can survive fairly close mowing