# Red Clover (*Trifolium pratense*) Red clover is a pretty flower with bright pinkish-red blooms. It grows in fields and meadows, attracting bees and butterflies. It's not just beautiful; it also helps the soil stay healthy! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Grasslands - **Also known as:** Lagopus lagopus, Willow Ptarmigan ![Red 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 Red Clover has distinctive globe-shaped flower heads, usually a vibrant reddish-purple or pink, that stand out in fields. Its unique leaves grow in groups of three, often marked with a pale, V-shaped chevron, making it easy to identify. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fabales - **Family:** Fabaceae - **Genus:** Trifolium ## Interesting facts - Finding a four-leaf clover is super rare and brings good luck! - In some cultures, red clover flowers are used to make healthy herbal teas! - Its leaves fold up at night, as if sleeping, and unfold again at dawn! - Red Clover is a favorite snack for many animals, from deer to rabbits! ## Special abilities - **Soil Booster Roots:** Red Clover can host special bacteria in its roots that create natural fertilizer, making the soil super healthy for other plants. - **Water Hunter:** Red Clover has deep roots that help it find water and nutrients far underground, making it tough in dry conditions. - **Pollinator Beacon:** Red Clover has bright, nectar-rich flowers that attract busy bees, which helps spread its seeds to new places. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 20-80 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 1.5-3 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to fall - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Biennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Its long tongue can reach deep nectar. - **Symbiotic with:** Nitrogen-fixing bacteria (*Rhizobium leguminosarum*) — These bacteria fix nitrogen in its roots. - **Eaten by:** [Field Vole](https://www.snappit.app/explore/field-vole) (*Microtus agrestis*) — These small rodents often graze on its leaves. - **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — An important nectar source for honey production. - **Eaten by:** [Red Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-deer) (*Cervus elaphus*) — Deer frequently browse its nutritious foliage. ## 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. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [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. - [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. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always check with an adult before picking flowers. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Red 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 Red Clover? 20-80 cm ### How wide does Red Clover spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on Red Clover? 1.5-3 cm ### When does Red Clover bloom? Late spring to fall ### Is Red Clover edible? Yes ### Is Red Clover toxic? None ### What is Red Clover's lifecycle? Biennial ## Where to spot - [Arden Park–East Boston Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arden-park-east-boston-historic-district) — Michigan, US · Historic District - [Bixby State Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bixby-state-preserve) — Iowa, US · Nature Reserve - [Bloedel Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bloedel-reserve) — Washington, US · Botanical Garden - [Broadway Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/broadway-avenue-historic-district) — Michigan, US · Historic District - [Capitol Park Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/capitol-park-historic-district) — Michigan, US · Historic District - [Connecticut College Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/connecticut-college-arboretum) — Connecticut, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Red Clover](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/red-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: [Red Clover: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-clover)