Trifolium repens Quadrifolium Purpureum - Clover

Trifolium repens 'Quadrifolium Purpureum', the purple four-leaf clover, is a decorative perennial groundcover that colours borders and containers. Derived from white clover, it quickly forms a very low carpet of purple foliage finely edged with green. Its discreet summer white flowers, much visited by pollinators, are an ecological asset. Easy to establish, very hardy, and undemanding in terms of soil, this clover suits naturalistic gardens as well as more contemporary settings, particularly for planting areas that are difficult to mow.

Clovers belong to the large Fabaceae family. Trifolium repens Quadrifolium Purpureum is an ornamental cultivar of white clover or creeping clover. It is encountered under several horticultural synonyms, notably Trifolium repens ‘Purpurascens Quadrifolium’, Trifolium repens ‘Tetraphyllum Purpureum’, Trifolium ‘Purpurascens Quadrifolium’, as well as by common names such as purple four-leaf clover or purple lucky clover. This selection is distinguished by the high frequency of four-leaflet leaves and their purple pigmentation.
It is a herbaceous perennial plant with a very low, carpet-forming habit and rapid growth. Its thin, stoloniferous stems, reaching 10 to 40cm in length, root at each node in contact with the soil; the plant progressively covers large areas. The carpet height rarely exceeds 7 to 10cm. The leaves are most often composed of four oval leaflets, sometimes more, 1 to 2cm long; the surface is purple to violet-brown, dark in the centre, bordered with a light green edging that outlines each leaflet. The foliage is deciduous to semi-evergreen, depending on the climate. The green to slightly reddish stems cross over to form a dense network that presses the vegetation against the ground and helps limit competition from weeds. Flowering occurs from late May to September, in the form of small globular, 1.5 to 2cm diameter heads of numerous cream-white flowers, turning slightly pink at the end of flowering, carried just above the carpet. These flowers are nectar-rich and attract bees and other pollinating insects. The fruits are small, discreet pods nestled within the faded heads, containing seeds that can self-seed. 
Like the type species, this clover is very hardy, down to -20 °C. It tolerates a wide range of well-drained, moist to moderately dry soils.

As the four-leaf clover is traditionally associated with luck, this purple cultivar is considered a lucky plant, easily shared by division of clumps or by taking rooted fragments. It can be used to establish a colourful carpet at the base of perennials and shrubs, in an area where its tendency to spread is not a problem. In a pot or container on a patio, it will act as a trailing plant to accompany annuals. On a bank or between the slabs of a stepping stone path, it helps stabilise the soil and reduce weeding. 
You can use Trifolium repens Quadrifolium purple as a decorative “alternative to lawn” on small surfaces: lightly trafficked areas, gaps between paving stones, path edges, the base of beds, and small spaces that are difficult to mow. It withstands light occasional foot traffic and can be mown quite high to remain dense.