Clover Comeback: Learn All About the Benefits of White Clover
At one time, most yards had at least some white clover growing in them. It was a world before chemicals, and clover was part of seed blends because it improved the soil and the condition of the lawn. Gardeners are beginning to recognize the benefits of clover in lawn grass mixtures—or even as a replacement for grass. Learn more.
Move on from the quest for a perfect lawn of just turf grass. It’s not natural and ends up requiring chemicals. Before World War II and the advent of chemicals, clover was used as a great companion with turf grass. It was added to seed blends, along with fescues, ryegrasses, and Kentucky bluegrass, because it helped grass thrive.
See the incredible benefits of clover below, and you’ll wonder why you don’t grow clover!
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Benefits of a Clover Lawn
- Being a legume, the clover plant fixes poor soil! Clover has the ability to convert nitrogen into fertilizer using bacteria in its root system, practically eliminating the need for additional fertilization.
- White clover (Trifolium repens) is the most common clover for lawns. Left uncut, white clover grows 4 to 8 inches tall and produces small white flowers that are often tinged with pink. It’s a rapid spreader that crowds out broadleaf weeds while growing harmoniously with grass.
- Like white clover, red clover (Trifolium pratense) is native to Europe, but has been naturalized in North America. It produces attractive purple flowers and typically grows taller than white clover (a little too tall compared to lawn grass).
- Clover is among the first plants to green up and thrive in the spring.
- It’s an extremely drought-resistant plant and will keep its cool-green color even during the hottest and driest parts of summer.
- Clover will also thrive in areas that are poorly drained or too shady for a conventional lawn.
- The flowers not only create a beautiful visual effect but also bring in bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects that prey on garden pests.
- Honeybees rarely sting when they are away from their hive, but if they make you uncomfortable or you are allergic to bee stings, simply have the lawn mowed more often when clover is in bloom. Or, grow clover on surfaces where there is little activity on the lawn, and the desired result is more aesthetic than functional.
Planting Clover Lawns
You can plant clover by itself for ground cover, but it stands up better to foot traffic when combined with lawn grass.
- Only 5 to 10% of the weight of tiny clover seed must be mixed with the recommended amount of grass seed to create a thick stand.
- When adding clover to an existing lawn, first mow it close and remove any thatch to allow the seed to fall to the soil surface.
- To sow clover alone, mix it with enough sand to facilitate spreading. About 2 ounces of clover is needed for every 1,000 square feet of lawn.
- Since clover has a low growth habit, it can be left unmowed all season long if desired. Alternatively, it can be mowed a couple of times a year to maintain its appearance.
Luck of the Clover
Finding a four-leaf clover is considered good luck. Surely, it must be because, on average, there is only one of them for every 10,000 clovers with three leaves. But even if you never find a four-leaf specimen, just having clover growing in your lawn will keep it greener longer with minimum care, which we consider to be extremely good luck.
Looking for more ground cover options? See a few more hardy ground cover plants.
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Hi Gary, if the yellow flower you see is yellow sweet clover, it can grow fairly tall (I've seen it up to 6' tall) and the flowers bloom along a 2" - 3" length. This is an invasive species. You might want to take photos of its leaves/flowers and get a positive i.d. There are plant identification apps you can use to find out. Even better, bring a clipping of it to your local cooperative extension office (if there is one in your area) to get it verified. If that's what it is, you'll want go pull it out, or cut it down to the ground several times until it gives up. Although pretty, it's a nasty invasive.
I live in Wyoming and wondering when to spread clover seed over my lawn. We still have snow on the ground but wanted to do it while ground is still wet because once snow melts and dries up, the ground is like concrete.
It’s safe to spread 2 weeks after last frost; Clover doesn’t germinate until the soil is consistently over 50 degrees and you don’t want seeds to rot.
I want to top seed with clover. The gardeners are going to thatch & then put down a pre emergent (for crabgrass)
Do I then sow the seed? Will this work?
Will the pre emergent affect the seeds?
Yes, the pre emergent herbicide will prevent the clover seed from germinating. It would be best to seed the clover first and then deal with any crabgrass that appears, unless crabgrass is a big issue in your lawn, in which case you should deal with the crabgrass first and then wait to seed clover in the fall.
I love all these inspiring clover stories! I am gearing up to plant clover in my back yard. Not much grows back there because there is a lot of clay and bedrock in the soil. There are small patches of grass, but not much else. My questions is: do I need to till my yard before planting clover, or should I focus on areas where nothing is growing and plant the clover there?
Thank you for your insight!
Hi Anna, You can plant cover in a new area or seed over bare patches. The advice is to rake or till just the top layer of soil to loosen the substrate and then water the area to encourage any remaining weeds to sprout. A day or two before planting your lawn, remove any newly sprouted weeds and rake to a smooth, even texture. Mix your clover seed with sand, sawdust, or fine soil to make spreading easier.
Will red or white clover grow in clay soil and full summer shade?
White clover grows in clay and loam soils that have a pH of 6.2-7.0; it grows best in partial shade (not full).
