Crimson Clover
Trifolium incarnatum
Family Fabaceae
Crimson clover is soil improvement disguised as a flower show. Sown on a bare bed, it races up and erupts into a sheet of strawberry-red spikes so vivid that farmers plant highway margins with it just for the view — and underneath, its roots are quietly banking nitrogen for whatever you grow next.
Bees and beneficial insects mob the bloom, weeds never get a foothold, and when the show ends the whole plant becomes green manure that feeds the bed it grew in. Beauty, forage, and fertility from one cheap packet — every empty bed is a chance to sow it.
Full Sun
Moderate water
Fast growth
Attracts bees
None winter chill
From the print shop
Growing crimson clover? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries crimson clover — Trifolium incarnatum, print Nº 138, “Crimson Clover.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what crimson clover actually needs.
Life cycleAnnualCrimson Clover · Common problems
Common crimson clover problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Crimson Clover · Growing & propagation
Growing crimson clover
- Light
- Full Sun
- Water
- Moderate
Soil- Any
Nitrogen-fixer · pH 6.0 - 7.0
Fertilizer- None
It MAKES nitrogen
Pruning- Cut/till at bloom
Sow in fall (overwinters in mild zones) or early spring; it fixes nitrogen, smothers weeds, and blooms a knockout crimson before you till it in. Terminate at flowering for maximum nitrogen, before it sets hard seed.
Spacing- Broadcast dense
How to plant & propagate crimson clover
- Propagate
- From seed
Crimson Clover · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Crimson Clover · Yearly calendar
The crimson clover year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomMarch to May
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Crimson Clover · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Trifolium incarnatum
Crimson Clover in the garden system
- Groundcover layer annual
- N-fixer
- Nectary/insectary
Attracts- Bees
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
Origin- Introduced
What crimson clover is grown for
✓ Commonly eaten
Use- Nitrogen fixing
- Use
- Bee forage
- Use
- Weed smothering
- Use
- Green manure
Harvesting & storing crimson clover
Cover crop — cut/till at flowering as green manure; also a beautiful bee forage.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Crimson Clover · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a crimson clover variety
'Dixie'; 'AU Robin' (reseeding)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
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Crimson Clover
Trifolium incarnatum
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Trifolium incarnatum
- Plant family
- Fabaceae
- Growth habit
- Annual
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- TRIN3
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Questions
Crimson Clover questions, answered straight.
Is crimson clover safe for kids and pets?
Crimson Clover is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
When do you harvest crimson clover?
Cover crop — cut/till at flowering as green manure; also a beautiful bee forage.
How do you propagate crimson clover?
From seed.
Elsewhere
Where crimson clover sits in the library.
White Clover
Hairy Vetch
Phacelia (Lacy Phacelia)
Alfalfa