Science · Plants, Natives & Crops
White Clover
White clover is a low-growing forage legume suited to grazing and grass mixtures. Its persistence depends on suitable moisture and management that prevents taller grasses from shading it.
Trifolium repens · Perennial pasture legume
Profile
- Growth habit
- Spreads through creeping stems that root at nodes.
- Pasture mixtures
- Can be grown with tall fescue or orchardgrass.
- Grazing
- Tolerates frequent grazing, but closely grazed plants need recovery time.
- Livestock caution
- Pastures dominated by white clover can cause bloat.
Water & soil context
- Moisture (VWC)
- Favor soils with dependable moisture; the Penn State guide rates wet-soil tolerance as high.
- Salinity tolerance
- No salt-tolerance class or threshold is documented in the cited publications.
- Drought tolerance
- The Penn State forage comparison rates drought tolerance as low; tolerance also varies among clover types.
Illustrative monitoring-depth band
3–8 in
Editorial placement example, not a validated optimum or total rooting depth. Confirm the site's root distribution and soil horizons; multiple depths may be needed.
Maintain moisture availability and avoid assuming that all white clover types withstand drought equally.
Problems to watch
- Drought
- Excessive shading by companion grasses
- Insufficient recovery after close grazing
Stress signs
- Drought-related leaf symptoms are not described in the cited publications.
- Visible symptoms of excessive shading are not described in the cited publications.
- Visible symptoms of inadequate grazing recovery are not described in the cited publications.
Where you'll find it
- Grazed livestock forage
- Grass-legume pasture mixtures
- Biological nitrogen contribution
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All Science profilesPublished botanical and soil references are distinct from GroundWorx product guidance. Moisture thresholds and monitoring depths require site calibration; sources do not establish product performance or diagnose stress.