level 6






Flowerheads about �" across are produced on long naked stalks (peduncles) that are unbranched and hairless. These flowering stalks are usually a little taller than the compound leaves. Each flowerhead has 20-50 flowers and is more or less globular in shape. Each flower is narrowly tubular, consisting of a green calyx with 5 narrow teeth and 5 petals that are white or pinkish white. When fully open, there is a small standard and 2 side petals that enclose the keel. The teeth of the calyx are equal to, or less than, the length of the calyx tube. Each flower has a very short pedicel. The blooming period occurs intermittently for several months, from late spring through the fall. The flowers gradually turn brown and are replaced by seedpods. Each little seedpod contains only a few seeds, which are flat, round or slightly heart-shaped, and variously colored. The root system consists of a shallow branching taproot and the rootlets formed by the elongated stems. This plant reproduces by seed or vegetatively, and often forms colonies.
Cultivation: The preference is full or partial sun, mesic conditions, and a soil consisting of loam or clay loam. This plant fixes nitrogen into the soil.
Comments: This is the familiar clover in lawns with white flowerheads. It is possible to confuse White Clover with other Trifolium spp., including the introduced Trifolium hybridum (Alsike Clover), nativeTrifolium reflexum (Buffalo Clover), and native Trifolium stoloniferum (Running Buffalo Clover). This latter species has never been observed in Illinois, but can be found in neighboring Indiana. Compared to White Clover, Alsike Clover is a taller and more erect plant, with flowerheads that are usually more pink, and leaflets that are without white markings (chevrons). It doesn't form stoloniferous stems. Similarly, Running Buffalo Clover is a taller and more erect plant, with flowerheads that are somewhat larger in size (often 1" across or more), and leaflets that are also without chevrons. Running Buffalo Clover is even more similar in appearance to White Clover than the others because it produces long stoloniferous stems and has flowerheads that are about the same size and color. However, its leaves are also without any white markings or chevrons. Both of the native clovers also possess larger stipules (�" or longer), have slightly longer pedicels, and have calyx teeth that are often longer than the calyx tube.