Trifolium pratense
Flowers May-September. Hairy leaves, red flower
Soil moisture tolerances
It is found on sites with 10-20 weeks dry soil per year and less than 10 weeks wet soil per year. It is very intolerant of wet conditions.
Traditional medicinal use
It is a nitrogen fixer and has therefore been sown as a fodder crop and also as a green manure to increase soil fertility. It has a range of therapeutic uses including the treatment of coughs, exzema, and mouth ulcers. Trifolium means 3-leaved and pratense means โof the meadow.โ
Suitability for floodplain living
Can be one of the smaller forbs to disappear first once the hay is not cut for a year or more, or if the site is wet for a prolonged period. Its disappearance is due to a combination of shading by bulkier species and an intolerance to saturated soil.
