Trifolium pratense - Red Clover - (Fabaceae)

Red Clover is widespread and common throughout the UK and Ireland an in many parts of Europe. The white crescent pattern on the leaves and the unstalked flower heads help in identifying this species.

A field of Red Clover

This lovely field of Red Clover was photographed in North Wales.

There are several other kinds of red clover, including Strawberry Clover (Trifolium fragiferum), shown below, and Knotted Clover (T. stratum), a downy-leaved plant.

A closeup of Red Clover

Red Clover isn't fussy about the kind of soil it grows on, and it can be found in a wide variety of habitats. This robust plant was grown as a fodder crop, but it is probably the best-loved of the thirty or so species of clover to be found in the UK.

The plants on this page were photographed in Wales in June.