Trifolium - Clover

This extensive genus includes nearly 200 species of annual, biennial, and perennial plants. These 'clovers' have trifoliate leaves, hence their name, and bloom in summer with large ovoid spikes of papilionaceous flowers. These perennials thrive in any soil, preferably moist and well-drained, even calcareous soil. They can be grown in full sun or partial shade, depending on the species. Like all legumes, trifoliums tolerate poor soil and degraded soils, which they help to enrich.

Trifolium ochroleucon is a very hardy perennial plant, forming a well-rounded clump with large ovoid spikes of cream to greenish-white flowers in summer. It pairs well with blue perennial geraniums or botanical daylilies and thrives in any good garden soil that is not too dry, in a sunny location. Trifolium rubens blooms in summer with beautiful and ornamental inflorescences, in large elongated heads composed of numerous pink-purple flowers. It has compound foliage with long, tough leaflets, bluish-green in colour. It is also a very robust and perfectly hardy plant, well adapted to poor, calcareous, and well-drained soils, preferably dry. Trifolium repens 'Pentaphyllum' is a magnificent variety with marginate purple foliage. This beautiful and creeping perennial groundcover is very hardy. It also blooms in summer, with ovoid spikes of white-greenish flowers.