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Clovers (of the Trifolium genus) are common weeds. There are about 250 varieties of true clovers, many of which have similar uses: buffalo clover (T. stoloniferum), alsike clover (T. hybridum), white clover (T. repens), crimson or Italian clover (T. incarnatum), red clover (T. pratense), hop clover (T. agrarium), strawberry clover (T. fragiferum), and subterranean clover (T. subterraneum). (The pea family also includes other plants called clovers, which are not recognized as true clovers.) For now I will describe only red clover.
Red clover is either a biennial or a perennial that lives two or three years; it grows in fields and open spaces across the area. The whole plant grows to be 6 to 18 inches (15 to 45 cm). It has thin stems that stay close to the ground and slightly fuzzy leaves made up of three round teardrop- or eye-shaped leaflets in the familiar cloverleaf shape. The leaflets are darker green on the top than the bottom, and on the top, each has a pale green mark shaped like a chevron or shark's tooth, pointing outward. (These marks, which distinguish the red clover from most other clovers, look similar to the dark "thumbprints" on the leaves of Lady's Thumb (or Heart's Ease).) The leaflets also have very fine teeth that are scarcely noticeable at first glance. The flowers bloom from April or May through September; they are ball-shaped and compact, and made up of many pointed florets. Each floret is shaped like a tiny pea flower and is white at the base, darkening to pink or lavender at the tip. When the flowers die, the florets turn into brown seedheads that droop from the stem.
The young, tender leaves and flowerheads of all the clovers mentioned seem to be edible; the leaves taste bland, but the florets may taste faintly of nectar. However, they are heavy on fiber and not readily digestible raw. When soaked in salty water or boiled 5 to 10 minutes, they can be eaten in larger amounts. (See also the warnings below.) The dried and ground seeds and flowerheads may be used as flour, and are quite nutritious. The dried flowerheads may be used as tea when mixed with other teas. The flowerheads can also be fried in batter to make fritters. Clovers are rich in protein and fiber, but are not the best wild foods available.
Red clover has been thought to have many medicinal properties. A tea made from the flowers has been used as a treatment for asthma, spasms or cramps, bronchitis, to "purify blood", as an expectorant, as a mild sedative, and as a wash for cancer (including the famous Hoxsey treatment), athlete's foot, ulcers, burns, and sores, to name but a few. The flwoers have been smoked in cigarettes to treat asthma. Most traditional uses have not been proven effective by science, but one compound found in the plant, biochanin A, has been shown to inhibit the activation of cancer, and the estrogen in it is used in menopausal medicines. Extracts of red clover are sold in the U.S. today.
Warning: late-season red clover may be poisonous to cattle, and diseased red clover, which may or may not have black spots on the leaves, is poisonous to humans. True clovers may be confused with several similar-looking plants: sweet-clovers (Melitotus varieties), black medic (Medicago lupulina), and wood-sorrels (Oxalis varieties). Though these plants have their edible and medicinal uses, they should not be confused with true clover.
Clovers probably originated in southwestern Asia Minor and southeastern Europe, and both cultivated and wild varieties now grow all over the world. Red clover has traditionally been said to have dozens of medicinal uses, few of which are supported by science. It's also been used for centuries as a rotation crop, and is today often used to feed animals and to improve the quality of the soil it grows in; it's often planted with other crops, like oats, barley, wheat, grasses, or certain legumes. There are three types of red clover: early flowering, late flowering, and wild. The most commonly cultivated is the early flowering variety, which can produce two to four crops of hay in one year. Red clover and, more often, white clover, have been called "shamrock", which comes from an Irish word that means "three-leafed". According to legend, St. Patrick planted the shamrock in Ireland to teach the Irish about the unity of the Holy Trinity, showing how it was one plant with three parts. Today the shamrock is the national symbol of Ireland and is used as a symbol of St. Patrick's Day. Four-leaf clovers are traditionally said to bring luck, and are carried as good luck charms or used as decorations today; they were originally mere flukes of nature, but have been bred as decorative plants. According to Wicca Craft, by Gerina Dunwich, clover is thought to be associated with the planet Venus.
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The information in these pages is accurate to the best of my knowledge, but I make no guarantees about its accuracy, nor do I take responsibility for any damage or injury caused by use or misuse of this information.
Much of this information comes from A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs of Eastern and Central North America by Stephen Foster and James A. Duke (Peterson Field Guides); A Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants : Eastern and Central North America by Lee Allen Peterson and Roger Tory Peterson (Peterson Field Guides); the World Book Encyclopedia; and Moonwatcher.
