Clover: Flower or Weed?

Whether people consider it a wildflower or an unwanted weed, clover is a plant almost everyone recognizes. Many people have spent time searching through patches of clover leaves, hoping to discover the famous four-leaf clover and its promise of good fortune.

The Origin and Spread of Clover

Clover belongs to the legume family and commonly grows in lawns, meadows, disturbed areas, and along roadsides. Although there are around 300 species of clover worldwide, none are naturally native to the northeastern United States. However, New England is home to 19 introduced species, including two of the most familiar varieties: white clover (Trifolium repens) and red clover (T. pratense).

European settlers brought clover to the region because it was valuable as a cover crop and as a protein-rich food source for livestock. Over time, it became widely established and naturalized throughout much of the area.

Clover as a Food Source for Wildlife

Also known as trefoil because of its three-part leaves, clover has become an important source of nutrition for many animals. A wide range of wildlife, including mammals, partridges, grouse, and other birds, feed on clover because of its high protein content.

Clover is also highly valuable to pollinators. Bees, butterflies, and moths rely on its nectar, while many caterpillar species use it as a food plant. Other insects, such as green lacewings, also benefit from clover, using it as part of their diet while helping control garden pests like aphids.

White Clover and the Mystery of Four-Leaf Clovers

White clover, sometimes called Dutch clover or creeping clover, is especially popular among pollinators because its short flower tubes allow easy access to nectar. This species is also the one most likely to produce leaves with more than the usual three leaflets. Some white clover plants carry a rare genetic trait that causes additional leaflets to appear.

Traditionally, a four-leaf clover is believed to symbolize faith, hope, love, and luck. Finding one is uncommon, with estimates suggesting that they appear about once in every 10,000 clovers. Clovers with even more leaflets are far rarer. The current record belongs to a clover discovered in Japan that had an incredible 56 leaflets.

Record-Breaking Clover Collectors

Although four-leaf clovers are difficult to find, some enthusiasts have dedicated years to searching for them. Wisconsin resident Gabriella Gerhardt holds Guinness World Records for discovering 887 four-leaf clovers within eight hours and 451 within a single hour.

She is also seeking recognition for additional achievements, including the largest collections of six-leaf clovers, totaling 1,437 specimens, and seven-leaf clovers, with 209 examples. Her personal collection has grown to more than 75,000 clovers.

White Clover Growth and Characteristics

White clover spreads through connected root systems, forming dense mats across the ground. This is why removing it from lawns can be challenging. Interestingly, if one four-leaf clover is found in an area, there is a higher chance of discovering more nearby.

Small structures on the roots contain bacteria that capture nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert it into a usable form for the plant. Each flower head grows on a stalk about 2 to 4 inches long and contains around 40 to 80 tiny individual flowers. These blooms are usually white with hints of pink.

The leaves are rounded, slightly notched, and often display a distinctive white or pale gray V-shaped marking.

Red Clover: A Valuable Summer Bloomer

Red clover, the official state flower of Vermont, grows between 8 and 30 inches tall. It produces rounded flower clusters in shades of pink and purple, along with elongated leaves marked by a subtle green V pattern.

Because bumblebees have longer tongues than honeybees, they are especially effective at reaching the deeper nectar inside red clover flowers. Even during dry conditions, red clover continues producing nectar throughout summer and into the autumn months, making it an important resource for pollinators.

Other Common Clover Species

Several other clover varieties are also commonly found in the region. Rabbit-foot clover (Trifolium arvense) gets its name from its soft, fuzzy flower heads, which may appear pinkish-white or gray.

Alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum) takes its name from Alsike, a town in Sweden. The Northeast is also home to three species known as hop clovers, named for their bright yellow flowers that later droop and become rusty brown, resembling dried hops.

These species include Trifolium dubium, Trifolium campestre, and Trifolium aureum. According to botanist Arthur Haines of the Native Plant Trust, these plants are common enough that many amateur plant enthusiasts simply group them together under the general name “hop clover” because each species has several common names.

Clover’s Benefits and Ecological Concerns

Despite providing benefits for wildlife, agriculture, and pollinators, clover also has some disadvantages because it is an introduced plant in many regions. While it is not considered a major ecological threat, botanists note that it can compete with native plants, and certain Trifolium species have become invasive in natural habitats outside the Northeast.

New Hampshire state botanist William Nichols explains that within natural ecosystems, many Trifolium species are viewed as weeds or invasive plants and are generally not encouraged. Supporting native plant species remains the preferred approach for maintaining healthy wildlife habitats.