Is red clover good for my lawn?

Yes, it adds nitrogen to the soil and stays green during dry spells.

How do I stop it from spreading?

Regular mowing before the plant sets seed will effectively limit its spread.

Plant guide

Red clover.

Trifolium pratense

Pronounced try-FOH-lee-um pra-TEN-see

Also known as Chilean Clover, Cowgrass Clover, Mammoth Red Clover, Medium Red Clover, Peavine Clover, Purple Clover, Red Clover

Red clover is a charming, short lived perennial that brings a touch of the meadow to your garden. It is well loved for its soft, clover shaped leaves and rounded pinkish purple flower heads. You will find it is quite resilient and adds a nice bit of texture to any sunny patch.

Another photo of Red clover — Photo by Conway Hawn (CC0) via gbif

At a glance

Care level: Easy
Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
Light: Full sun
Indoor light: Direct sun
Water: Every 3 to 7 days
Mature size: 0.6 meters
Growth rate: Fast
Hardiness: USDA 4 to 9
Bloom time: Late spring to early autumn

Care

Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged to help it thrive. Watch for wilting during dry spells, as this plant prefers steady hydration. Deadheading spent blooms can encourage a second flush of flowers later in the season.

Watering: Water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
Feeding: Apply a balanced fertilizer sparingly during the active growing season.
Pruning: Trim back faded flowers to promote new growth and keep the plant tidy.
Repotting: Repot if the plant becomes root bound or needs fresh soil to support its growth.
Soil: Loamy, well draining soil
Soil pH: 6.0 to 7.0
Temperature: -30 to 35°C
Humidity: 40 to 80%

Safety

People: It is generally considered safe but contains coumarin, which can interfere with blood clotting in large amounts.
Children: The small flower heads could pose a minor choking hazard if ingested by very young children.
Contact allergens: Some individuals may experience mild skin irritation from handling the foliage.
Airborne allergens: The pollen can trigger seasonal allergies in sensitive people during the peak bloom.
Edibility: Consult a professional before consuming wild clover to ensure proper identification and avoid areas treated with chemicals.

How to identify it

Three leaflets with white V mark
Rounded pink to purple flower heads
Hairy stems and leaves
Stipules at base of leaves

Height: 0.2 to 0.6m
Spread: 0.3 to 0.5m
Leaves: green, deciduous
Flowers: pink, purple, 1 to 3cm
Fruit: brown, Late summer

Problems to watch for

Clover Root CurculioCommon
Powdery MildewCommon
AphidsUncommon
Leaf SpotUncommon
Root RotUncommon
RustUncommon

By symptom

Plant problems by symptom

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Growing it

Propagation: seed
When to plant: spring, autumn

Plant red clover near heavy feeders like brassicas to naturally boost soil nitrogen levels.

Grows well with

Timothy grass · They grow well together in meadows and provide balanced forage.
Common yarrow · Yarrow attracts beneficial insects that help manage clover pests.

Similar species

White clover · It is a smaller, creeping relative often found in similar habitats.

Science

Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Trifolium
Order: Fabales
Class: Magnoliopsida
Native range: Europe, Western Asia, and Northwest Africa.
Conservation: This plant is common and not of conservation concern.

It thrives in open meadows and disturbed soils by fixing atmospheric nitrogen to support its growth.

Value to wildlife: nectar source, larval host plant, nitrogen fixer
Pollinators: bees, butterflies, moths
Uses: cover crop, pollinator garden, medicinal tea, soil improvement

Through the year

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Flowering

Fruiting

Foliage

Ecological indicators

Salinity: 2/9
Soil reaction: 6/9
Light: 7/9
Temperature: 5/9
Moisture: 5/9
Nutrients: 4/9

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Is red clover good for my lawn?: Yes, it adds nitrogen to the soil and stays green during dry spells.
How do I stop it from spreading?: Regular mowing before the plant sets seed will effectively limit its spread.

Where the name comes from

Trifolium comes from the Latin for three leaves, while pratense means of the meadow.

Good to know

Red clover is the national flower of Denmark.
It has been used in traditional medicine for centuries.
The leaves are often marked with a distinct white V shape.

Keep your red clover growing

This page is a general guide. Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked.

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This guide was generated with AI on September 26, 2026 and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.