Hello again! I'm trying to be better about posting at least once a month. This time, we'll take a break from bugs! I wanted to focus on a type of plant that I have a few different species recorded: clovers. I love to see them and can identify them pretty quickly now! I love them most because of their flower structure and soft colors. Let's get into it!
Clovers, also called trefoils, are in the genus Trifolium. The name comes from the Latin 'tres' which means three and 'folium' which means leaf. They originated in Europe but now have a cosmopolitan distribution which means its range extends almost all over the world!
Their diversity is greatest in the Northern Hemisphere but there are also plenty of species that occur in other places. There are about 300 species.
They are small plants, usually growing to about a foot tall. Their leaves are trifoliate which means they come in threes. Their flowers are dense spikes of small red, purple, white, or yellow flowers.
Note: Pictured above is perhaps my favorite clover! It goes by many common names but rabbitfoot clover (Trifolium arvense) is my favorite! They're so fluffy! I added the leaves to show off their trifoliate nature.
There are many uses for clover and a big part of that is cultivation for fodder. Fodder is plants that are used to feed livestock.
Note: The most widely cultivated clovers are red clover, (Trifolium pratense) which I have a photo of and white clover (Trifolium repens). Look at those gorgeous leaves!
Here are some of the reasons farmers use it so much: because it always returns after it's mowed, it's abundant, livestock enjoy eating it, it fixes nitrogen in its roots using symbiotic bacteria which eliminates the need for chemically fertilizers, and it grows just about anywhere. Fun fact, did you know that increased soil nitrogen levels from the widespread use of clover was one of the main reasons why European agricultural production in 1880 was about 275% of the production in 1750? That's a crazy percentage!
Many animals love it, including us! Bears, game animals, ruminants (like deer and cows), and birds forage for and eat clover. Humans eat it as well whether its blossoms are used for tea, its seeds for bread, or how the Native Americans eat it both raw and cooked after drying and smoking the roots. Though you shouldn't eat it if you're pregnant.
When I was young, I think I was a weird kid who was outside a lot. I found myself eating things that maybe I shouldn't have been eating. But, one of them was red clover! I remember them tasting sweet and I'd always look for them.
Pollinators also enjoy clover! The plant attracts bumblebees, honeybees, and other pollinators. It caused honey production to rise drastically in areas it was used and remained the main nectar source for bees until the mid-twentieth century.
Note: Another clover I found is called crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum). Incarnatum means blood red! I'm including the leaves to show how varied they can be even though every species only has three leaves.
I wanted to touch on their symbolism because many people know it but it's still fun to talk about! Shamrock, the traditional Irish symbol, is commonly associated with clover! I have some Irish ancestry so this is a particularly fun tidbit for me. They're also seen as lucky!
Note: Before I end with some fun facts I found I wanted to share my last clover. It's called field clover (Trifolium campestre). Campestre means of the fields! It's native to Europe and western Asia but we see a lot of it here.
Did you know the record for most leaflets on a clover is 63? It was set on August 2, 2023 by Yoshiharu Watanabe in Japan. Apparently a common thing to say is "to be (or to live) in clover" and it means to live a carefree life of ease, comfort, or prosperity. Another common saying is in surgery when speaking of the appearance of wound after hemorrhoidectomy: "If it looks like clover, the trouble is over; if it looks like dahlia, it’s surely a failure". It was fun to learn these because I only knew about the Irish luck side of clovers!
As always, I hoped you learned something! I want to write more about animals and plants too although I still want to talk about bugs. Until next time!
Yours,
Jade
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