Trifolium pratense - Red Clover

Family:	Leguminosae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	0.6
Width:	0.6
Synonyms:
Range:	Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to Spain and W. Asia.

Trifolium pratense (Red Clover) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 0.6m and a width of 0.6m . It has a moderate growth rate. It has a hardness rating of 6and is vunerable to frost.
Red Clover will flower in November to March. the seeds ripen from January to April
The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by Bees, lepidoptera

Soil Information

Red Clover will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is / is important for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Red Clover prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Red Clover should not be planted in shady areas.

Meadows, pastures and other grassy places[9], especially on calcareous soils. Usually found on circumneutral soils[17].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Suits a meadow

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in a moist, well-drained circum-neutral soil in full sun[200]. Prefers a medium-heavy loam[87]. A short-lived perennial[200]. A very hardy plant, tolerating temperatures down to at least -23°c[238]. A very important food plant for the caterpillars of many butterfly and moth species[30]. It is also a good bee plant[54], but not so valuable as the white clover, T. repens[4]. It grows well in an apple orchard, the trees will produce tastier fruit that stores better[201]. It should not be grown with camellias or gooseberries because it harbours a mite that can cause fruit drop in the gooseberries and premature budding in the camellias[201]. Very polymorphic, there are many subspecies and varieties. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[200]. Buttercups growing nearby depress the growth of the nitrogen bacteria by means of a root exudate[201].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 3/5
Leaves and young flowering heads - raw or cooked[2, 55, 105, 183]. The young leaves are harvested before the plant comes into flower, and are used in salads, soups etc[9]. On their own they can be used as a vegetable, cooked like spinach[9].The leaves are best cooked[172]. They can be dried, powdered and sprinkled on foods such as boiled rice[183]. The leaves contain 81% water, 4% protein, 0.7% fat, 2.6% fibre and 2% ash[218]. The seed can be sprouted and used in salads. A crisp texture and more robust flavour than alfalfa (Medicago sativa)[183]. The seeds are reported as containing trypsin inhibitors[218]. These can interfere with certain enzymes that help in the digestion of proteins, but are normally destroyed if the seed is sprouted first. Flowers and seed pods - dried, ground into a powder and used as a flour[115]. The young flowers can also be eaten raw in salads[144, 172]. Root - cooked[172, 177]. A delicate sweet herb tea is made from the fresh or dried flowers[21, 55, 183]. The dried leaves impart a vanilla flavour to cakes etc[172].

• Condiment - the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.
• Flowers -
• Leaves -
• Root - includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
• Seed - includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
• Tea - the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 3/5
Red clover is safe and effective herb with a long history of medicinal usage. It is commonly used to treat skin conditions, normally in combination with other purifying herbs such as Arctium lappa and Rumex crispus[254]. It is a folk remedy for cancer of the breast, a concentrated decoction being applied to the site of the tumour in order to encourage it to grow outwards and clear the body[254]. Flavonoids in the flowers and leaves are oestrogenic and may be of benefit in the treatment of menopausal complaints[254]. The flowering heads are alterative, antiscrofulous, antispasmodic, aperient, detergent, diuretic, expectorant, sedative and tonic[4, 21, 165, 218, 238]. It has also shown anticancer activity[172, 218], poultices of the herb have been used as local applications to cancerous growths[4]. Internally, the plant is used in the treatment of skin complaints (especially eczema and psoriasis), cancers of the breast, ovaries and lymphatic system, chronic degenerative diseases, gout, whooping cough and dry coughs[238]. The plant is normally harvested for use as it comes into flower[222, 238] and some reports say that only the flowers are used[4]. The toxic indolizidine alkaloid 'slaframine' is often found in diseased clover (even if the clover shows no external symptoms of disease). This alkaloid is being studied for its antidiabetic and anti-AIDS activity[222].

• Alterative - Causes a gradual beneficial change in the body, usually through improved nutrition and elimination, without having any marked specific action.
• Antiscrophulatic - Counteracts scrofula. (TB, especially of the lymph glands)
• Antispasmodic - Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.
• Aperient - A mild laxative.
• Cancer - Used in the treatment of cancer.
• Detergent - A cleansing agent, used on wounds etc. It removes dead and diseased matter.
• Diuretic - Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
• Expectorant - Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.
• Miscellany - Various medicinal actions that need more clarification.
• Sedative - Gently calms, reducing nervousness, distress and irritation.
• Skin - Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
• Tonic - Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.

Propagation

Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in spring in situ. If the seed is in short supply it might be better to sow it in pots in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in late spring. Division in spring[238].

Known Hazards

Diseased clover, even if no symptoms of disease are visible, can contain toxic alkaloids[222].

Other Uses

A yellow dye is obtained from the flowers[46, 61]. The plant makes a good green manure, it is useful for over-wintering, especially in a mixture with Lolium perenne[54]. Deep rooting, it produces a good bulk[87]. It is a host to 'clover rot' however, so should not be used too frequently[87]. It can be undersown with cereals though it may be too vigorous[87]. It is also grown with grass mixtures for land reclamation, it has good nitrogen fixing properties[200].

• Dye - Plants that provide dyes.
• Green manure - Fast-growing plants that can be used to increase the fertility of the soil.
• Soil reclamation - Plants that can be grown in such circumstances an the spoil tips of mines in order to restore fertility.

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Flora of the British Isles.
Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Author: Clapham, Tootin and Warburg.
Rating:
Publisher : A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
Date of Publication : 1962

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

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