Alsike clover
Trifolium hybridum
Edibility - Good
Health Benefits - Good
Photo taken by Calvin De Jong
Description
Height 40 cm
Width 10 cm
Leaves 10-20 mm wide, 15-30 mm long
Flowers 10-30 mm
Seeds 1-2 mm
The alsike clover is a small short-lived herbaceous semi-perennial plant from the flowering plant family Fabaceae. The leaves are typically trifoliate but can sometimes have 5-7 foliates. Alsike clover grows small whit-pinkish, fragrant flowers that are spherical in shape. The flowers house one or two seeds in the ovary that are released when the flower ripens.
Distribution and habitat
Alsike clover has a cosmopolitan distribution, especially in mountainous regions of the Northern Hemispheres. Alsike clover grows best in full sun in open areas that have frequent rainfall or cool moisture. I find Alsike clover along old roads, creeks, meadows, open hillsides, and near game trails. Alsike clover typically likes moderate temperatures with a long growing season that offers plenty of moisture. It can tolerate low fertility poorly drained soils but not drought.
Elevation 0-2500 m
Soil clay, loam
pH 5.5
Zones 3
Sun full, partial shade
Uses & Benefits
Clover has been used as traditional medicine for many years to treat a wide range of conditions. It has been used by some women to symptoms of menopause, breast pain, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Clover can be applied to the skin to treat skin cancer, skin sores, burns, eczema, and psoriasis.
Parts Used:
Flowers
Leaves
One can use clover to:
Help with lowering cholesterol
Treat asthma
Bronchitis
Eczema
Psoriasis
Ways to use clover:
Tea
Creams
Tinctures
Extracts
Warnings & Hazards:
In large quantities, clover can cause sterility in livestock.
Calvin De Jong
Content Writer/Photographer
I am a naturalist from the Okanagan. My passions are taken photos of nature and foraging all its wonders.