Genus Trefolium, well-known trifoliate legume.
Clover (genus Trifolium) is a well known and globally distributed genus of over 300 species of Fabaceae (legumes). Clovers are small annual, biennial, or short lived perennials. In gardens, they often appear in lawns.
Clovers have characteristic trifoliate (3 sub leaf) leaves. Sometimes more sub-leaves are seen - eg. "lucky 4 leaved clovers" - these appear due to specific species, or in the case of a 4-leaved clover a sport/mutation.
Flowers are heads of dense spikes of small red, purple, white, or yellow flowers.
Several types of clover are grown as nutritious fodder plants. As they are legumes, they have the added advantage of providing nitrogen to the soil - making them an excellent choice in a crop rotation scheme.
Clover flowers are also important nectar sources for bees. Clover makes a popular choice for honey, and bees are the preferred way of pollinating self-seeding clover crops.
Use this tag for all questions about growing or managing clover (it is also considered a relatively benign weed in some circumstances).
