White clover A familiar 'weed' of gardens, roadsides, meadows and parks, White clover is famous for its trefoil leaves - look out for a lucky four-leaf clover in your own garden!
Scientific name
Trifolium repens
When to see
May to October
Species information
Category
Wildflowers
Statistics
Height: up to 40cm
Conservation status
Common.
Habitats
Grassland
Farmland
Towns and gardens
About
White clover is a very common plant of all kinds of grassy areas in the UK, from lawns to pastures, roadsides to meadows, as both a wild and sown flower. The famous trefoil leaves are collected by Wood Mice and are one of the foodplants of the common blue butterfly; the flowers appear from May to October and are sought after by all kinds of bumblebees.
How to identify
Most white clover leaves have the familiar trefoil look with three green leaflets, often bearing white markings. The white, sometimes pinkish, flowers have rounded heads.
Distribution
Widespread.
Did you know?
There are clover farms in the USA that specialise in growing four-leaf clovers which they harvest and sell as good luck charms.
How people can help
Our gardens are a vital resource for wildlife, providing corridors of green space between open countryside, allowing species to move about. In fact, the UK's gardens provide more space for nature than all the National Nature Reserves put together. So why not try leaving wilder areas in your garden, such as patches of buttercups in your lawn or nettles near your compost heap, to see who comes to visit? Species
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Red clover
A familiar 'weed' of gardens, roadsides, meadows and parks, red clover has trefoil leaves and red, rounded flower heads. It is…
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