Clover - A Plant of the Fabaceae Family
Published · Flower Resource
Clover belongs to genus Trifolium in the Bean family, the Fabaceae and it is a head of flowers which is also called inflorescence. Red clover flower plant is a wild perennial that is found in the meadows throughout Europe and Asia. The flower plant can grow up to 20 inches tall and sometimes they are biennial herbs. The plant leaves are in the form of basal rosette with long petioles and the plant stem are strong, upright woody stems and high in fiber. This plant can live only for 1 to 3 years. The leaflets of the plant have light green and V shaped smudge in the center.
This plant is the ultimate symbol of the Holy Trinity for the Irish people. The four leaf clover is believed to bring good luck and fortune. The clover represent faith, hope, love and luck and thus you can give this to your loved ones and convey your love. But revenge is also one of the language of white clovers.
Uses of Clover
- It is a legume and is a rich source of isoflavones which has cancer preventive and antioxidant activity.
- It is used in skin problems like psoriasis and upper respiratory tract problems.
- The plant leaves are edible and nutritious.
- It was traditionally used to purify and cleanse the blood.
- A tea made from the flowers can also be used as eyewash.
- You can use the tincture leaves as an ointment for gout.
- Leaf tea is also used to cure cough, colds and fevers.
- Flower tea is used for rheumatism.
Interesting Facts
- The flowering plant is a well developed tap root which is drought resistant.
- They are said to retard progress of cancerous tumors before ulceration takes place.
- The clover is celebrated on St. Patrick’s Day.
- Many legends have passed so many mythological stories on white clover.
- Clovers can also have five, six or more leaflets but a record is made for most leaflets are 56 that beat the record of 21 leaf clover.
- The most four leaf clovers collected in one hour is 166 that was achieved by Katie Borka in Virginia, USA.
Soil Needed
- This plant can germinate quickly in moist soil.
How to Plant?
- First of all you need to prepare the soil; you can use lime, compost or fertilizer to make the soil ready.
- Plant it sometime after its starts warming up or at least couple of months before the first frost.
- Just walk north and south and east and west and drop the seeds.
- Clover doesn’t require much water once they are growing strong but for the first month make sure the soil remains moist.
Maintenance and Care
- Clover has the ability to fertilize itself but you can still fertilize the plant after few months if your want to.
- When the leaves die back in late spring or early summer, the plant is actually telling you it needs a time of dormancy to rest.