# Clover (*Trifolium pratense*) Clover is a small plant with three round leaves. It often grows in fields and gardens. Some people believe finding a four-leaf clover brings good luck! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 113 - **Habitat:** Grasslands - **Also known as:** Shamrock, Trefoil ![Clover](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Trifolium_pratense_-_Keila2.jpg&width=800) Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trifolium_pratense_-_Keila2.jpg) ## Appearance The Clover has distinctive three-lobed green leaves, often marked with a pale chevron. Its small, tightly packed white to pinkish-white flowers form globe-shaped clusters. It grows low to the ground, spreading widely like a carpet. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fabales - **Family:** Fabaceae - **Genus:** Trifolium ## Interesting facts - Ancient Celts believed clovers could ward off evil spirits and bring good luck! - Clover plants can act like little weather forecasters, folding their leaves before a storm! - Did you know a four-leaf clover is just a rare mutation of the regular three-leaf kind? - There are hundreds of different clover types all around the world! ## Special abilities - **Nitrogen Navigator:** Clover can partner with tiny bacteria in its roots to pull nitrogen from the air, making the soil super healthy for itself and other plants. - **Ground Hugger:** Clover has special stems that creep along the ground, rooting as they go, allowing it to spread quickly and cover bare soil like a living carpet. - **Green Snack Attack:** Clover leaves and flowers are edible, providing a nutritious snack for many animals and even humans, making it a widespread food source. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees gather nectar and pollen from clover flowers. - **Eaten by:** [Cattle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cattle) (*Bos taurus*) — Cattle and other livestock graze on clover as nutritious forage. - **Symbiotic with:** Rhizobium bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — Bacteria live in clover roots, converting air nitrogen into plant food. - **Symbiotic with:** Perennial Ryegrass (*Lolium perenne*) — Often grows alongside ryegrass in pastures, improving soil for both. ## Traits - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants. - [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. ## Collections - [Flowers](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/flowers) - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Clover is safe to touch and explore, but be careful not to eat plants from the wild without an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Clover? Count the petals where you can, then compare the flower's center, its symmetry, how the blooms are grouped and the leaves below. Color varies between garden varieties and shifts with the light. Flower Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Clover? 10-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on Clover? 1-2 cm ### When does Clover bloom? Spring to fall ### Is Clover edible? Yes ### Is Clover toxic? None ### What is Clover's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is Clover pollinated? Insect ## Where to spot - [Ames Nowell State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ames-nowell-state-park) — Massachusetts, US · State Park - [Anderson Japanese Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-japanese-gardens) — Illinois, US · Botanical Garden - [Arden Park–East Boston Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arden-park-east-boston-historic-district) — Michigan, US · Historic District - [Belltown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/belltown-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District - [Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackhand-gorge-state-nature-preserve) — Ohio, US · Nature Reserve - [Canton Center Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/canton-center-historic-district) — Connecticut, US · Historic District [View all places to see Clover](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/clover) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Clover: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/clover)