Red clover
Trifolium pratense
Family: Fabaceae
What it is like
A herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows up to 40 cm high. The stems are hairy. It has a single taproot. The leaves have 3 leaflets. The leaflets are smooth and oval. They have a pale V shaped mark. The flowers are purplish-mauve of pink. They are rounded. The pods have 1 seed.
There are about 240 Trifolium species. They are mostly temperate.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It suits high rainfall areas. In the Indian Himalayas it grows between 3,000-3,800 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 6-9. Tasmania Herbarium.
Countries/locations it is found in
Afghanistan, Africa, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Asia, Australia, Austria, Balkans, Belarus, Bosnia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Caucasus, Central Asia, Chile, China, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Easter Island, Europe (country/location of origin), Falklands, Finland, Himalayas, Hungary, India, Indochina, Italy, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mediterranean, Moldova, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, North America, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Mozambique, Russia, Scandinavia, SE Asia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South America, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, Uruguay, USA, Vietnam, West Indies
How it is used for food
The leaves are cooked and eaten. They are boiled then fried. They can be used to make tea. The leaves and the flowers are dried and can also be added to salads. (It is not wise to eat too many.) A tea can be made from the flowers collected in the early morning. The flowers are also sucked. The sprouted seeds are eaten. CAUTION: It contains oestrogen-like isoflavones. It should not be eaten by women who are pregnant or by nursing mothers.
The nectar from the flowers is sucked by children. The flowers are foraged and used in restaurants on Sweden. It is sold in local markets. It is cultivated.
Edible parts
Leaves, flowers, seeds, nectar, tea
How it is grown
Plants can be grown by seed.
Its other names
Local names
Argud, Che-ba do, Chilean clover, Crvena djetelina, Chupamieles, Ereqnuk, Kana eshpet, Kirmizi yonca, Koniuczya, Nefil, Peavine clover, Purple clover, Rodklover, Rotklee, Shataala, Shotal, Trebol, Trebol morado, Trebol rojo, Trebol rosado, Trevo-dos-prados, Trevo-roxo, Trevo-vermelho, Trifoglio dei prati, Trifoi