Is Clover Easy to Grow? A Comprehensive Analysis of Growing Difficulty

The Flower Language and Legends of Clover

The flower language of clover is happiness.

According to legend, whoever finds a clover with four leaflets, that is, a four-leaf clover (also called a lucky clover), will be granted happiness. So in some European countries, people who spot clover by the roadside almost always pick it, press it flat, and keep it to give to others later, as a way of expressing their best wishes to friends. One leaf of the four-leaf clover stands for petition, one leaf stands for hope, one leaf stands for love, and the last leaf stands for happiness.

In legend, the four-leaf clover was brought to the earth from the Garden of Eden by Eve, and its flower language is happiness. It is also known as clover. Usually it has only 3 leaflets, and the chance of finding one with 4 leaflets is only one in ten thousand, implying the attainment of happiness and the favor of heaven.

The Morphological Characteristics of Clover

Clover is a perennial herbaceous plant. The plant is low-growing, 30-40 cm tall. It has a taproot, and the roots have the characteristic of symbiosis with rhizobia; the root's tillering ability and regenerative ability are both strong. It has many branches, and the creeping stems grow along the ground; where the internodes touch the ground they immediately take root and sprout new shoots. The leaves are compound, with three leaflets; the leaflets are obovate or obcordate, wedge-shaped at the base, blunt or slightly notched at the tip, with fine serrations along the margin, and a "V"-shaped white mark in the center of the leaf surface; the stipules are oval and clasp the stem. It blooms in summer and autumn, with head-shaped racemes, spherical, on long peduncles, with white flowers, occasionally pale red. It blooms and sets seed at the same time, the seeds ripen at different times, and the seeds are tiny.

Common Varieties of Clover

There are mainly three types of clover, namely white clover, crimson clover and red clover.

1. White clover. Also known as white trefoil. It was first cultivated in the Netherlands in the late 16th century and is now widely distributed in temperate regions. It is cultivated in areas south of the Huai River and in southwestern China. It is a perennial herb that roots where it touches the ground. The stems are slender and soft, creeping along the ground, and the plant is 30-60 cm tall. The petioles are long, and the leaflets are obovate or nearly obcordate, with fine serrations along the leaf margin. The inflorescence is a head, bearing 10-80 flowers, white or pale purplish red. The pod is obovate-rectangular, with 3-4 seeds per pod. The seeds are nearly round, yellow, with a 1000-grain weight of 0.5-0.7 g.

2. Crimson clover. Also known as crimson trefoil. It originated in Europe and is distributed in northeastern Europe and North America. It has been widely introduced and cultivated in areas north of the Huai River and south of the Yangtze River in China. It can be used as forage, ground cover vegetation or green manure, and can also be used as a catch crop. It is an annual or winter annual herb. The stems are round and hollow, about 70 cm tall. The leaves are nearly round, with short hairs on both sides; the petioles are large, and the stipules are round and large, membranous. The inflorescence is a cylindrical head, with deep red flowers. The pod is obovate and contains 1 seed. The seeds are round, yellow or brown, with a 1000-grain weight of 3.2 g.

3. Red clover. Also known as red trefoil. It is distributed in Europe, the United States, New Zealand and other regions, and is also cultivated south of the Huai River in China. The stems are erect or ascending, round with uneven longitudinal ridges, 60-100 cm tall. The leaflets have light white V-shaped markings, the leaf surface is hairy, and the margin is entire. The inflorescence is a head, bearing more than 100 flowers, red-purple, and it is self-infertile. The pod is obovate, with a membranous pericarp, and each pod contains 1 seed. The seeds are kidney-shaped or nearly triangular, yellowish brown, with a 1000-grain weight of about 1.5 g.

The Value and Applications of Clover

Lawns established with grass-family turfgrass species have become a limiting factor in the lawn industry due to frequent mowing and large water requirements, while establishing lawns with white clover can overcome these shortcomings. The advantages of establishing lawns with white clover are:

(1) No mowing required, low management intensity. The stems of white clover are creeping stems, and the plant is low-growing, generally between 10-20 cm in height. Therefore, the established lawn does not need mowing.

(2) Fewer waterings, relatively extensive management. White clover has a well-developed root system and can use water from deep soil layers, and it is not very demanding regarding soil dryness and moisture. Therefore, the number of waterings can be reduced, and management can be extensive.

(3) Natural renewal, the lawn remains prosperous for a long time. White clover does not need mowing, so the plants can bloom and set seed. The seeds fall to the ground and grow on their own, enabling natural renewal and keeping the lawn prosperous for a long time.

(4) Strong invasiveness, relatively good ornamental value. The creeping stems of white clover spread in all directions, and its stem nodes take root where they touch the ground; when the mother plant dies or the stems are cut, the creeping stems can form new independent clumps. Therefore, it is highly invasive. Clover is a broadleaf plant, and its leaves spread horizontally, effectively covering the ground and inhibiting weed growth. Therefore, once a white clover lawn is established, weeds are not likely to invade, which can make the lawn neat and beautiful.

The Origin and Distribution of Clover

Clover originated in southern Asia Minor and southeastern Europe. It is widely distributed in temperate and subtropical high-altitude areas. In China, it can be planted in all areas except South China.

The Growth Habits of Clover

Clover has strong cold resistance. When the temperature drops to 0°C, some old leaves turn yellow and withered, and the small leaves on the main root cling close to the ground and stop growing, but they still remain green. Therefore, the green period is very long. It is not demanding regarding soil and can adapt to various soil types, growing well in slightly acidic soil. It prefers warm, sunny environmental conditions with good drainage. Under drought conditions it grows slowly, and in hot seasons some plants may die off. It is resistant to pruning and trampling, with strong regenerative ability; within 10d after pruning, new small leaves can grow. After high-intensity trampling or rolling, it can recover within 3-5d. Under strong shading, it tends to grow leggy, resulting in poor growth. It has strong resistance to harmful gas pollution and strong resistance to pests and diseases.