How to Identify a Red Clover

Red clover is a valuable pasture or forage plant, but when it crops up in a lawn it becomes a weed. It tends to spread in clusters and you'll rarely find a single clover plant growing on its own. Red clover leaves, plant shape and flowers are all similar to those of white clover. The two main identifying characteristics that separate red clover from white clover are distinctive white markings on the leaves of red clover and a difference in flower color.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Look for a cluster of relatively low-growing plants. They tend to sprawl but on occasion may grow over a foot high, with leaves that consist of three ovals at the end of a stem. Three-part red clover leaves look much like the spades symbol you'll find in a deck of playing cards and may on occasion grow to be well over an inch across from one segment to another.

2. Look for a hairy surface underneath the leaf--sometimes they're hairy on top as well--and a distinctive white "V" marking on the top of each leaf segment. The white "V" is your best way of identifying what you're looking at as red clover, especially if it hasn't yet flowered.

3. Check, if it's flowering season, which is usually late summer, for round flower heads that are pink, red or purplish in color. Red clover flowers typically measure anywhere from 1/2 inch to over an inch in length. White clover has similarly shaped flowers that may be anywhere between white and pale pink, which sometimes leads to confusion between the species. However, white clover flowers are usually much paler and also much smaller than red clover flowers.

References

• Red Clover Identification