White clover

Discuss this plant with the guide — choose this profile as a possible match and prepare your observations for Colorado Plants & Practical Care.

Trifolium repens

Common introduced weed · not on state Lists A/B/C. C-floristic-2020 CO-rules-2025

A spreading lawn plant with pollinator value. Exposure help.

Identification caveat: White clover (Trifolium repens) differs from white sweetclover (Melilotus albus); the moldy sweetclover-hay warning is not assigned to it solely from a common name.

Still researching this plant

This is a sourced working profile. Evidence is incomplete for People, Dogs & cats, Other animals. Identification and source-photo limits are explained below. Independent botanical and veterinary review is pending. Uncertainty is not a finding that the plant is safe.

Three views of this plant

Source-identified reference photographs; these are not a complete identification key. A source location outside Colorado does not establish local occurrence.

White clover: a rounded flower head of small white pea-like florets on a slender stalk. — **flower** — A rounded flower head of small white pea-like florets on a slender stalk.
Ivar Leidus · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source page scientific identification plus visual morphology review of the selected photograph. This is a source-identified reference image, not a specimen-based taxonomic determination. Source-identified T. repens. Leaf markings can vary or be absent; three leaflets and pale crescents alone do not establish a specimen’s identity or cultivar.
Wikimedia server-resized derivative, reduced from the original; no crop, color change, upscaling, or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; catalog preview may use a CSS crop.

White clover: a dense low rounded patch of white clover with many pale flower heads in grass. — **habit** — A dense low rounded patch of white clover with many pale flower heads in grass.
H. Zell · CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source page scientific identification plus visual morphology review of the selected photograph. This is a source-identified reference image, not a specimen-based taxonomic determination. Source-identified T. repens. Leaf markings can vary or be absent; three leaflets and pale crescents alone do not establish a specimen’s identity or cultivar.
Wikimedia server-resized derivative, reduced from the original; no crop, color change, upscaling, or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; catalog preview may use a CSS crop.

White clover: a mature drooping flower head with brown papery florets beneath green calyces, photographed with a 10 mm scale. — **mature-head** — A mature drooping flower head with brown papery florets beneath green calyces, photographed with a 10 mm scale.
Stefan.lefnaer · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo source and identification
Original record · Original image
Source page scientific identification plus visual morphology review of the selected photograph. This is a source-identified reference image, not a specimen-based taxonomic determination. Source-identified T. repens. Leaf markings can vary or be absent; three leaflets and pale crescents alone do not establish a specimen’s identity or cultivar.
Wikimedia server-resized derivative, reduced from the original; no crop, color change, upscaling, or generative editing. Gallery display preserves the full image; catalog preview may use a CSS crop.

Identification

A low perennial with three leaflets, often bearing pale crescents, and rounded heads of white flowers. Runners root at their joints. N-trifolium-repens

People

The reviewed sources do not establish species-specific ingestion effects or a safe exposure amount for people. Missing evidence does not establish safety.

Dogs & cats

The reviewed sources do not establish species-specific ingestion effects or a safe exposure amount for dogs or cats. Missing evidence does not establish safety.

Other animals

It is grown as livestock forage. This botanical description is not a complete feeding-risk assessment and gives no safe ration. N-trifolium-repens

Evidence scope: Forage-use observation; safety limitation.

Plants & habitat

White clover fixes nitrogen, attracts pollinators and spreads in lawns. Whether it is a weed depends on the intended planting. N-trifolium-repens

Management & timing

First decide whether the clover is unwanted. Its creeping stems can tolerate mowing; manage lawn conditions if trying to favor turf. N-trifolium-repens C-descriptions

Before taking action

Confirm identification and the requirements of your county weed program. For chemical treatment, follow the current product label, including restrictions around animals and water. S27

References

C-floristic-2020 — Colorado Floristic Quality Assessment: 2020 Update, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University. Accessed 2026-09-07T02:27:33+00:00. Locator: Appendix B, Colorado species list: scientific name and native/non-native fields.
CO-rules-2025 — Colorado Noxious Weed Act rules, 8 CCR 1206-2, Colorado Secretary of State / Department of Agriculture. Accessed 2026-09-07T01:07:48+00:00. Locator: Parts 3.1, 4.1, 5.1; management provisions; effective May 15, 2025.
N-trifolium-repens — Trifolium repens, NC State Extension. Accessed 2026-09-07T02:23:12+00:00. Locator: Description, identification attributes and plant problems; toxicity section where present.
C-descriptions — Weed descriptions, Colorado State University Extension. Accessed 2026-09-07T00:24:02+00:00. Locator: Species entries.
S27 — 2103 – Colorado Noxious Weeds, PlantTalk Colorado · CSU Extension. Accessed 2026-09-07T00:23:57+00:00. Locator: List A, B and C management categories.

Content revised 2026-09-07 02:46:00Z · Source checks dated separately in the references.