# crimson clover (*Trifolium incarnatum*) Crimson clover is a beautiful flower with bright red blooms that attract bees and butterflies. It grows in fields and gardens, making the world a little more colorful! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 8 - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![crimson clover](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Trifolium_incarnatum.jpg&width=800) Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trifolium_incarnatum.jpg) ## Appearance The crimson clover has striking, upright, conical flower heads that are a vibrant deep red to scarlet color, appearing fuzzy due to many tiny florets. Its leaves are soft, hairy, and trifoliate, meaning they have three leaflets, distinguishing it from single-leafed plants. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fabales - **Family:** Fabaceae - **Genus:** Trifolium ## Interesting facts - Cows and sheep love to munch on crimson clover for a healthy and nutritious snack. - Its scientific name, Trifolium, surprisingly means 'three leaves' in Latin! - Some people carefully use crimson clover flowers to make their own special herbal tea. - This plant is often called 'Italian clover' because it originally comes from Southern Europe. ## Special abilities - **Nitrogen Power-Up:** Crimson clover can partner with tiny soil bacteria to 'fix' nitrogen from the air, turning it into food that helps both itself and other plants grow strong! - **Soil Supercharger:** Crimson clover has deep roots that break up compacted soil, improving its structure and allowing water and air to reach other plant roots easily. - **Busy Bee Beacon:** Crimson clover's bright red flowers act like a giant 'welcome sign' for buzzing bees and other pollinators, providing them with essential nectar and pollen. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 20-50 cm - **Spread:** 15-30 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-6 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Annual - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen - **Pollinates:** Common eastern bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — gathers nectar and pollen - **Eaten by:** [Cattle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cattle) (*Bos taurus*) — a nutritious forage crop - **Eaten by:** Domestic sheep (*Ovis aries*) — grazes on the plant - **Symbiotic with:** Rhizobium bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — fixes nitrogen in its roots ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Nitrogen Fixing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nitrogen-fixing): Describes organisms capable of converting atmospheric nitrogen into compounds usable by plants. - [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second. - [Agricultural](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/agricultural): This human use trait describes species cultivated or domesticated by humans for agricultural purposes, including crops and livestock. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [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. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always check with an adult before picking flowers in nature. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify crimson clover? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is crimson clover? 20-50 cm ### How wide does crimson clover spread? 15-30 cm ### How big are the flowers on crimson clover? 2-6 cm ### When does crimson clover bloom? Spring to early summer ### Is crimson clover edible? Yes ### Is crimson clover toxic? None ### What is crimson clover's lifecycle? Annual ## Where to spot - [Americus Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/americus-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Benbow Lake State Recreation Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/benbow-lake-state-recreation-area) — California, US · State Park - [Demopolis Town Square](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/demopolis-town-square) — Alabama, US · Park - [East Anniston Residential Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/east-anniston-residential-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Fletcherville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fletcherville-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Milledgeville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/milledgeville-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District [View all places to see crimson clover](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/crimson-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: [Crimson Clover: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crimson-clover)