Ivar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Red clover
Plant·Trifolium pratense
Full sun
Sun
Medium
Water
Moist soil
Drainage
Zones 3–9
Hardiness
Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is a plant. It grows best in full sun and has moderate water needs. It grows well with corn maize, wheat and apple.
Through the year
DormantLeafing outFloweringFruiting
Works well with
from wiki dataWHAT IT NEEDS
Wants full sun
Needs moderate water
Tolerates moist soil, as long as it drains well
Prefers soil pH 6–7.5
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Prefers loam, clay, sandy loam soil
Tolerates some soil compaction
Fixes nitrogen in the soil
Draws up phosphorus, potassium, calcium from deep in the soil
Adds a lot of organic matter to the soil
Partners with mycorrhizal fungi to boost nutrient uptake
WHAT IT GIVES
Gives mulch biomass (medium to high)
Gives nectar (high)
Gives pollen (high)
Provides nitrogen
Provides phosphorus
Provides potassium
Provides calcium
Attracts pollinators
Attracts beneficial insects
HOW IT GROWS
SIZE & SPACING
Ground cover
Height20–80 cm
Spacing30 cm (min 15 cm)
Root depthMedium
Width30–60 cm
Width figures are rough estimates, the most variable measurement in our data.
AI estimate · accuracy improves as growers contribute corrections.
HOW TO PROPAGATE
Propagate by seed
Difficulty
Establishes in about 1 yr
Self-seeds readily on its own
Where this comes from
Parsed11 Sept 2026
ConfidenceNot recorded
Photograph Ivar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0