Discover the vibrant beauty and utility of Trifolium incarnatum, commonly known as crimson clover or Italian clover. It is native to most of Europe. This striking clover species gets its name from the Latin term "incarnatum," which translates to "blood red." Not merely eye-catching, crimson clover serves practical roles as well.
The crimson clover boasts an upright annual herb that grows between 10-20 inches tall, with flowers teeming throughout spring and summer. Each leaflet, hairy and 8-16 mm across, highlights a truncated or bilobed apex. The clover's crimson-colored flowers form on an elongated spike inflorescence, each individual bloom containing five petals and measuring 10-13 mm long.
Beyond aesthetics, crimson clover is a protein-rich forage crop widely grown for cattle and other livestock. Its rapid spring growth results in an abundant crop of green food, making it irresistible to livestock and an excellent choice for converted into hay.
While it thrives with minimal soil disturbance, it fails to shoot again post-mowing. Despite flourishing in southern regions, this clover has been notably less successful in the north.
Introduced to the US initially as cattle forage, crimson clover now also aids in roadside erosion control and beautification. However, it tends to suppress other spring and early-summer species of native vegetation where planted. Beware not to mistake it for Crimzon Clover or Crimson and Clover!
