Name
The genus name “Trifolium” means three-leaved grass. The specific name “pratense” is latin for “found in meadows”.
Also Known as
- red clover
- beebread
- broad red
- cleaver grass
- cow clover
- cow grass
- marl grass
- meadow clover
- meadow honeysuckle
- meadow trefoil
- purple clover
- trefoil
- wild clover
Identification Keys
- perennial herbaceous
- usually upright but may also creep on the ground, producing stems and fibrous roots at nodes
- grows to 20-80 cm tall
- alternate, palmate-compound leaves
- leaves arise from a long, slender, branching downy stem
- leave is trifoliate (with three leaflets)
- leaflet oval to elliptical
- leaflet 15–30 mm long and 8–15 mm broad, green with a characteristic pale crescent in the outer half of the leaf
- leaflet has a V-shaped chevron in the outer half
- a midrib runs down the leaflet length, creating a seam
- rounded flower head with up to 60 tiny, bilateral-symmetrical, magenta, pea-like flowers
- tiny brown seeds
Bloom Time
- late spring – early fall
Habitat
- fields
- disturbed habitats
- trailsides
- roadsides
- parks
- sunny places
- meadows
- pastures
- open fields
- lawns
Look-alikes
- Trifolium repens (white clover) resembles red clover, but it’s smaller with white flowers and leaves arising from separate stems
- Oxalis spp. (wood sorrel), also edible, is often confused with clover, but it has heart-shaped and completely different flowers
Medicine Uses
Parts Used
flowering top
Actions
alterative, antioxidant, antispasmodic, aperient, diuretic, expectorant, sedative, oestrogenic
Systems
Circulation
- prevents hypertension
Respiratory system
- antispasmodic for whooping-cough, dry cough, bronchitis and asthma
Immune system
- useful as a detoxifying herb for cancer of the breast and lung
- benefits lymphatic system
Musculoskeletal system
- protects from osteoporosis
- used for arthritis and gout
Reproductive system
- increases follicle-stimulanting hormones
- useful for menopausal issues such as hot flushes, night sweats and insomnia
- helpful in mastitis
- guard against prostate problems
Externally
- apply poultices to skin problems and cancerous growth
Caution
- avoid in bleeding disorders, pregnancy and breast-feeding
- diseased clover can contain toxic alkaloids
- use with caution with anticoagulants and contraceptives
Food Uses
Parts Used
flowers, leaves
Main Uses
potherb, salad, tea
Nutrition
- vitamin C
- vitamin B1, B3
- vitamin E
- calcium
- chromium
- magnesium
- phosphorus
- potassium
Cooking
- add the raw flowers to salads
- cook (10-15 min) the flowers in any dish that calls for vegetables. They cook in about 10 to 15 minutes
- dehydrate flower, grind them into powder. Add to whole-grain flour to use in breads
- make an infusion with the freshest flower heads and few leaves
- cook (15 min) the leaves like other greens
- sprouted seeds are edible in salads
Harvesting
Harvesting Season
- the leaves are barely edible in early spring but can be used in tea
- the flowers are at their peak in late spring, but good ones are also available in the summer and fall
Harvesting Methods
- pick the young leaves and the flower heads by hand
- collect the most attractive-looking flower heads
- avoid those that still include some immature, green flowers
- collect completely brown flowers (contain seeds) and use them to supplement the protein of whole grains in breads
