One of the special features of red clover is that the plant is a difficult weed to combat for some garden lovers, but a valuable weed for others. If you want to do something good for bumblebees and other insects or if you want to use sprouts and flowers in the kitchen yourself, red clover is the ideal plant.

Red clover is also called meadow clover

Red clover: A profile

  • Botanical name: Trifolium pratense
  • Common names: Meadow clover, honey flower, field clover, bumble bee
  • Plant Family: Legume
  • Genus: clover
  • Origin: native plant
  • Distribution: Europe, Asia
  • Annual or perennial: perennial
  • Height: up to 70 cm in culture, approx. 40 cm in nature
  • Flowering time: April to October
  • Flowers: Red or pink, up to 100 individual flowers, diameter of the inflorescences up to 2 cm
  • Fruits: pods 2 to 5 mm long, brown
  • Leaves: 3 leaves per stem, 1.5 to 6 cm, smooth-edged, white spot in the middle
  • Roots: Taproot, up to 2 m deep
  • Propagation: seeds, root suckers
  • Use in the kitchen: sprouts, blossoms for salads, tea
  • Use as a medicinal plant: herbal tea for menopausal and menstrual cramps
  • Use as a useful plant: animal feed, green manure
  • Ecological benefit: good bee pasture
  • Toxicity: non-toxic
  • Hardiness: absolutely hardy
  • Preferred location: sunny to slightly shady, nutritious, moderately moist soil

Uses of red clover in cooking

Red clover sprouts are most commonly used in cooking. They are grown in germinators and, like cress, eaten as a topping on bread or in a salad. The taste is less pronounced than that of cress.

The red flowers are also edible and taste mild and only slightly aromatic. They add color to flower salads and soups. They are also often used as decoration.

Use as a medicinal plant

Red clover is a medicinal plant that has been used in natural medicine since ancient times. It contains a number of active ingredients that are used, among other things, to treat inflammation and high blood lipid levels.

One of the special features of red clover is its high proportion of plant estrogens, which are usually taken as a tea or in capsule form to alleviate menopausal symptoms. However, there are no reliable studies that have actually been able to prove the effect.

Fighting red clover is difficult

Red clover is rightly regarded as a very annoying weed in the garden. Once it has established itself in the beds or the lawn, it can hardly be fought.

If cultivation in the garden is desired, a very deep root barrier should be provided. In addition, no pods may develop from the flowers to prevent self-seeding.

It is safer to sow red clover in pots for the kitchen. However, they must be very deep because of the long taproots. There are germinators for growing sprouts, so sowing them in the garden is not absolutely necessary.

tips

Like all plants from the legume family, red clover should not be sown outdoors in locations where other members of the plant family have previously stood. The space should not be occupied by legumes for at least three, better four years.

Category:

Herbs