The illustrated growing guide
White Clover
Trifolium repens
Family Fabaceae
Est. zones 3-10
The workhorse of low-input landscapes — a nitrogen-fixing clover you overseed into lawns and orchards to feed bees, build soil, smother weeds, and stay green through drought with zero fertilizer. It's the heart of the 'clover lawn' movement and a classic living mulch under fruit trees. Microclover blends invisibly into fine turf.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Drought-tolerant · low water
Fast growth
Attracts bees
From the print shop
The closest print we make
We don’t print Trifolium repens. The closest we have is Trifolium pratense (“Red Clover”) in the Tea Herbs collection — the same genus, Trifolium, not the same species.
16 designsfrom $21.99white or black groundmatte poster, unframed
I
Overview
Will white clover suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what white clover actually needs.
Hardy inZones 3-10White Clover at a glance
Common white clover problems
- Almost none
- Almost none
II
Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow white clover: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate white clover
III
The year
What white clover asks for, month by month.
The white clover year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The white clover year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar bloom
- Apr bloom
- May bloom
- Jun quiet month
- Jul quiet month
- Aug quiet month
- Sep bloom
- Oct bloom
- Nov bloom
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
IV
Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
White Clover in the garden system
- Groundcover layer perennial
- N-fixer
- Nectary/insectary
- Living mulch
What white clover is grown for
✓ Commonly eatenedible flowers/leaves in moderation
Harvesting & storing white clover
Living mulch / cover crop; edible flowers and leaves in small amounts.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
V
Cultivars
Named varieties of white clover, ruled as a catalogue.
Best white clover varieties & cultivars
'Dutch White' (classic); 'Microclover' (fine lawn type); 'Ladino' (large, forage)
VI
Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to white cloveryet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
VII
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
VIII
Questions
White Clover questions, answered straight.
Is white clover safe for kids and pets?
White Clover is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. One caveat on this one: edible flowers/leaves in moderation. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest white clover?
Living mulch / cover crop; edible flowers and leaves in small amounts.
How do you propagate white clover?
Division or seed.
IX
Elsewhere
Where white clover sits in the library.
Crimson Clover
Hairy Vetch
Phacelia (Lacy Phacelia)
Alfalfa