Trifolium aka Clover

Trifolium, commonly known as clover or trefoil, is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae. With approximately 300 species, these plants originated in Europe but have a cosmopolitan distribution, with the highest diversity in the temperate Northern Hemisphere. They can also be found in South America and Africa, including high-altitude mountain regions in the tropics. Trifolium plants are typically small herbaceous plants that can be annual, biennial, or short-lived perennials, reaching heights of up to 30 centimeters. The leaves are usually trifoliate, but occasionally quatrefoiled, and come in various forms such as monofoil, bifoil, cinquefoil, hexafoil, septfoil, etc. They have stipules adnate to the leaf-stalk and produce heads or dense spikes of small flowers in shades of red, purple, white, or yellow. The small pods containing a few seeds are enclosed in the calyx. Other closely related genera include Melilotus (sweet clover) and Medicago (alfalfa or Calvary clover). Trifolium is also known for its trailing perennial variety, reaching up to 15cm tall. Its leaves consist of 3-5 pink leaflets with brown centers, which turn green during summer, displaying red veins. In summer, spherical flowerheads in white or pink hues appear on stalks above the foliage, attracting bees with their nectar. While some may consider clover a weed, others find it an appealing option for ground cover or improving lawns. Its fast growth and ability to fix nitrogen in the soil make it desirable for those in the latter category. The most familiar species to home gardeners is white clover (Trifolium repens), which is hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 through 10. However, it is not invasive in dry climates. On the other hand, rose clover (Trifolium hirtum) is considered invasive, according to the University of California Davis Invasive Plant Inventory.