Trifolium variegatum

Common Names

Whitetip Clover, White-Top Clover

Summary

Whitetip Clover is native to western North America and grows in vernal pools and wet grasslands. It is an annual herb with a prostrate to erect habit, reaching about 4–14 inches tall, and is usually hairless. Leaves are palmately divided into three oblong leaflets with coarsely toothed margins. Flower heads are deep purple with white or pale pink tips and emit a delightful perfume; nectar-rich blooms attract native and non-native bees and other insects.

Cultivation notes indicate tolerance of light to heavy soils with moist, well-drained circum-neutral soil and full sun, not shade-tolerant. Nitrogen fixation occurs via root bacteria, making it suitable for cultivated beds and poorer soils; seed requires a 12-hour pre-soak, then sowing in spring in situ or in pots. It may grow well in apple orchards and blooms in early summer, often alongside vernal pool species; nectar-rich flowers support pollinators.

Lifecycle

Annual

Height

8-14 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones not available

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun.

Soil Type

Wet, water-saturated soil

Soil Drainage

Wet to vernal-wet soils

Soil pH

Mildly acidic to mildly alkaline soils (circum-neutral)

Bloom Color

Purple to pink blooms with white or pale pink tips.

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Annual

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds — pre-soak 12 hours; sow in spring in situ, or sow in pots in a cold frame; transplant seedlings when large enough.

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees and other pollinators, Attracts butterflies (likely)