Ornamental · Fabaceae
White Clover
Trifolium repens
A fast, self-feeding carpet that greens the lawn, buzzes with bees, and just keeps going.
Full sun
Every 5–10 days
40–90 days
USDA 3–10
Overview
White clover is a creeping perennial legume from the pea family, and it turns up just about everywhere, from crisp lawns to roadside edges. It races outward on stolons, stems that run along the soil and root at every node, so a few plants weave into a dense, low mat in no time. Look for leaves in threes stamped with a pale V-shaped watermark and round white to pinkish flower heads riding just above them.
The best part is that it feeds itself. Down in the roots it teams up with Rhizobium bacteria to pull nitrogen straight from the air, fueling the clover and everything growing beside it. That trick is why growers pack it into lawns, run it as a cover crop, and roll it out as living mulch under vegetables and orchard trees.
It is also a genuine workhorse. White clover powers through cold to -29°F (-34°C), takes mowing and foot traffic without missing a beat, and greens up a lawn on next to no water or feeding. Keep two things on the radar: it spreads where you might not want it, and it pulls bees right down to ground level while it blooms.
Care
The short version: hand white clover full sun to part shade and moist, well-drained soil, keep the water coming through a hard drought, and skip the fertilizer since it makes its own nitrogen. Mow or trim to hold it low and it keeps rolling.
Light
White clover thrives in full sun and rewards it with the thickest stand and the most flowers, though it happily takes partial sun and partial shade too. Push it into a shadier corner and it still fills in, just a little more open.
Water
Keep the soil moist but well drained and water roughly every 5 to 10 days when things dry out. Established clover powers through drought, and even if a long hot spell leaves it brown and thin, it bounces right back once the rain rolls in.
Soil
Clover grows in all kinds of soil and rarely complains, but it really takes off in a moist, fertile, well-drained loam. Aim for a pH of 6.0 to 7.0, and put drainage ahead of rich ground, since this plant cooks up its own nitrogen.
Temperature
This plant is built tough, charging through cold to -29°F (-34°C) and summer heat up to about 95°F (35°C). That range is exactly why it grows across hardiness zones 3 through 10.
Humidity
Everyday outdoor air is plenty, so there is no dial to fiddle with. Clover takes dry air and damp weather in stride as long as the soil stays evenly moist.
Feeding
Here is the payoff of a legume: it runs on little to no fertilizer because it grabs its own nitrogen from the air. The one move worth making is coating the seed with Rhizobium where those soil bacteria are missing, especially in warmer zones.
Pruning
Mow or trim clover to keep it low and tidy, and it shrugs off the cut every time. Regular mowing also knocks back the flowers, a handy trick in play areas where bare feet and busy bees might otherwise meet.
Repotting
none
Size & spacing
White clover stays low at 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 cm) tall, but each plant charges outward on stolons to cover 1 to 3 feet (30 to 100 cm). That spreading drive is what turns a light sowing into a solid mat in a single season.
When to plant
Clover makes timing easy, so get sowing. Scatter seed outdoors in spring or late summer, leaving about 40 days before the first hard frost, and watch it green up within weeks. Flowers charge in from late spring through fall and peak in early summer.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Sow: Not typically started indoors; direct sow outdoors.
- Plant: Spring or late summer; allow about 40 days before first killing frost for late-summer seeding.
- Harvest: Late spring through fall (peak early summer); round white to pinkish flower heads.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 3–10
Temperature: down to -40°C
Troubleshooting
White clover barely ever stumbles, and most so-called problems come down to where it grows and who it draws in. Track down your match below, then decide whether to steer it or turn it loose.
Clover browning and thinning in a dry spell
Clover roots ride shallow, so a long, hot drought can leave the foliage brown and patchy for a stretch. The upside is that an established patch almost always springs back once the rain returns. Water deeply through the worst of it to hold the soil moist, then let it recover on its own steam.
Fix:
- Water deeply during prolonged drought to keep soil moist
- Allow established stands to recover naturally once rainfall resumes
Clover charging into the lawn in spreading patches
Those patches come straight from creeping stolons, stems that run along the ground and root wherever a node hits soil, so a few plants stitch together fast. Low soil nitrogen tips the field toward clover and away from hungry grass. Want it out? Feed the turf to thicken the grass and treat with a broadleaf herbicide packing fluroxypyr or clopyralid, which hits hardest in fall.
Fix:
- Decide whether clover is desirable (eco-lawn) or a weed before acting
- Fertilize turf with nitrogen to favor grass over clover
- For removal, apply a broadleaf herbicide such as one containing fluroxypyr or clopyralid, most effective in fall
Bees working the flowers underfoot
White clover blooms pull in honeybees and bumblebees by the crowd, and they forage right at ground level all through the flowering. Great for pollinators, tricky for bare feet in play areas. Mow off the open flowers before the kids run out, wear shoes on flowering patches, and leave some clover unmown elsewhere so the bees keep feasting.
Fix:
- Mow before or during peak bloom to temporarily remove flowers in high-traffic or play areas
- Wear shoes when walking on flowering clover
- Keep some unmowed clover elsewhere to support pollinators
Toxicity
Here is the reassuring part: white clover is non-toxic and even edible. Cats, dogs, rabbits, birds, and people all share space with it safely, and the young leaves and flowers have been eaten in small amounts for ages. The one thing to watch is grazing horses and livestock, where a big helping of lush clover can bring on bloat or a harmless drooling called slobbers.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
Nothing to sweat here. A cat that nibbles a leaf or flower comes through fine, since clover packs nothing that troubles them.
Dogs None
Dogs can sniff, chew, or roll right through it. As a non-toxic plant, it turns a curious mouthful into a total non-issue.
Horses Mild
Clover makes solid forage for horses in normal amounts. Just keep tabs on heavy grazers on lush stands, since clover can now and then carry a fungus that kicks off the harmless but messy drooling called slobbers.
Rabbits Safe
A flat-out rabbit favorite and a healthy treat, with both the leaves and flowers safe to graze.
Livestock Mild
Terrific pasture, but a belly full of lush, wet clover can trigger bloat in cattle, sheep, and goats. Watch for a swollen left flank and clear discomfort, and ease ruminants onto rich stands rather than turning them out hungry.
Birds Safe
No worries for birds. Hens and other poultry can peck the leaves and flowers without a hitch.
People Safe
The young leaves and flower heads are edible and have been eaten in small amounts for generations. Clover is safe for people, with no toxic parts to dodge.
Safe for cats, dogs, and people. Note that lush white clover can cause bloat in grazing ruminant livestock (cattle, sheep) and clover can occasionally accumulate cyanogenic glycosides or fungal infection affecting grazing animals, but it is excellent forage and not poisonous to pets or people.
Varieties
White clover shows up in a fun range of sizes, from towering forage types down to tiny lawn selections, so there is one for every plan. Meet the three you are most likely to grow.
Ladino clover
Ladino is the big, hard-charging forage type, shooting up two to four times taller than the intermediate clovers and fixing more nitrogen than any of them.
Dutch white clover
Dutch white clover is the go-to low lawn clover, around 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm) tall and unfazed by summer heat.
Microclover
Microclover covers the small-leaved turf selections like Pirouette and Pipolina that stay low, flower less, and blend into a lawn so cleanly you can hardly spot them.
Companions
Clover pairs well with plants it can feed. Its nitrogen-fixing roots support neighboring grass and crops, which is why it turns up in lawn mixes and as a living mulch.
Plant near
turf grasses (fescue, ryegrass): Clover fixes nitrogen via Rhizobium that feeds neighboring grass, reducing fertilizer needs in lawn mixes.
vegetables and orchard/vineyard crops: Low-growing living mulch that suppresses weeds and enriches soil with nitrogen.
How to propagate
Multiplying clover is a breeze, and that is half the fun. Sow fresh seed or just turn the plant loose to spread itself across the ground.
SeedEasy
Spring or late summer (about 40 days before first killing frost) · Establishes within several weeks; full stand in one season
Most clover gets scattered right onto the ground in spring or late summer, leaving about 40 days before the first hard frost for a late sowing. Where the right soil bacteria are missing, especially in warmer zones, coat the seed with Rhizobium first and it takes off. A fresh stand fills in within a few weeks and blankets the ground fully in a single season.
DivisionEasy
Spring through early fall · Quickly, as stolons root at the nodes
Clover also spreads on its own steam, firing out creeping stolons that root at every node into a self-mending mat. Lift and move rooted pieces any time from spring through early fall, and they grab hold fast because the roots are already good to go.
Myths
Clover is just a lawn weed to stamp out.
Clover picked up its weed rap in the broadleaf-herbicide days, but the plant pulls way more than its weight. It fixes its own nitrogen, feeds pollinators, and runs on almost no inputs, which is exactly why growers now seed it on purpose into eco-lawns, bee lawns, cover crops, and living mulch.