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White Clover

Trifolium repens

Months

Colour

Often found in parks, banks and lawns – any type of grassland habitat – White Clover is the commonest of the clovers.

The White Clover flowerheads are ball-shaped cluster on a long stem, made up of tiny individual white and sometimes very pale pink flowers. The leaves have the archetypal ‘cloverleaf’ shape: three rounded leaflets often with a pale band.

Distribution

Common across the UK.

Habitat

Almost any grassy habitat.

Best time to see

Flowers from June to September.

Did you know?

  • Vernacular names include Milky blobs, Sheepy-maa’s and Bee-bread. The latter name “Bee-bread” derives from the fact that the white flowers can be pulled out of the heads and sucked for a bead of honey.
  • Four- and, even better, five-leaved clovers are considered lucky, though ideally you must come across them accidentally. They were pressed and used as bookmarks in prayer books in parts of Buckinghamshire.

White Clover lawn, image by Archie Thomas

White Clover, image by Trevor Dines

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