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Trifolium pratense

Chilean Clover · Cowgrass Clover · Mammoth Red Clover · Red Clover

Family FabaceaeGenus Trifolium

A rounded head of pink-purple pea flowers on a single stem, above leaflets each marked with a pale chevron.
FlowerIvar LeidusCC BY-SA 4.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
Perennial, WildflowerExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Height
0.5-2 ft15-60 cmExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Spread
0.7-1.7 ft20-50 cmExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Flower
PinkExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Blooms
Spring, SummerExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Native range
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Altay, Austria, Azores and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Hardiness zones
3-9Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Growing conditions

Sun
Full sunExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil
Clay, Loam (Silt)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Good Drainage, Occasionally DryExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Watering
Drought tolerance: LowPLANTS Database

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS.

Worth knowing

  • Pratense comes from the Latin pratum, meadow. Red clover became Vermont's state flower in 1894, and has also been used as Denmark's national flower. Wikipedia: Trifolium pratense

Protocol

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 3 days to germinate.

1% germination in 3 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Trifolium p. 223Public domain
Show the original text
Trifolium (Fabaceae). .. . T. pratense germ. 70D(1% on 3rd d). The remaining seeds rotted.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Trifolium p. 223. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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