Buffalo Clover
Trifolium reflexum
In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in open woodlands, woodland edges, dry shaly places. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you
95
Keystone
Native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 100%
- Height
- Up to about 20 inches
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil moisture
- Dry to average
At a glance
- Life cycle
- Annual, biennial or perennial
- Leaves
- Deciduous
- Bloom
- Spring and summer
Not yet recorded · Spread
Recorded in 36 Arkansas counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 2
Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.
Borders of forests, clearings and shrubby thickets.
Also found with this plant
Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Arkansas. Shared habitat, not food. 27 animals.
- Sprague's PipitAnthus spragueii
- Upland SandpiperBartramia longicauda
- Western MeadowlarkSturnella neglecta
Widespread birds also seen here (59)
Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.
- American Goldfinch
- American Kestrel
- American Robin
- Bank Swallow
- Belted Kingfisher
- Bewick's Wren
- Blue Grosbeak
- Blue Jay
- Brown Creeper
- Brown Thrasher
- Canada Goose
- Cedar Waxwing
- Chimney Swift
- Chipping Sparrow
- Cliff Swallow
- Common Nighthawk
- Common Yellowthroat
- Cooper's Hawk
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Double-crested Cormorant
- Downy Woodpecker
- Eastern Bluebird
- Eastern Kingbird
- Eastern Screech-owl
- Eurasian Collared-dove
- European Starling
- Golden-crowned Kinglet
- Great Horned Owl
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Harris's Sparrow
- Hooded Merganser
- Mourning Dove
- Northern Flicker
- Northern Mockingbird
- Orchard Oriole
- Osprey
- Pileated Woodpecker
- Pine Siskin
- Prairie Warbler
- Purple Finch
- Red-headed Woodpecker
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Song Sparrow
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Summer Tanager
- Tree Swallow
- Tufted Titmouse
- Turkey Vulture
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- White-crowned Sparrow
- Wild Turkey
- Wood Thrush
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
- Yellow-breasted Chat
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
103CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR
Genus host records with ranges including AR · Trifolium
- Abaeis nicippeSleepy Orange, Sleepy Yellow, Erratic Orange
- Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
- Acrolophus arcanellaGrass Tubeworm Moth
- Acrolophus plumifrontellaEastern Grass Tubeworm
- Acrolophus popeanellaClemen's Grass Tubeworm
- Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
- Agnorisma badinodisPale-Banded Dart
- Agrotis gladiariaSwordsman Dart, Clay-Backed Cut-Worm
- Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
- Agrotis malefidaRascal Dart, Pale-Sided Cut-Worm, Shagreened Cut-Worm
Show all 103
- Agrotis venerabilisVenerable Dart, Dusky Cut-Worm
- Anagrapha falciferaCelery Looper Moth
- Anarta trifoliiThe Nutmeg, Clover Cutworm
- Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
- Anicla infectaGreen Cutworm Moth
- Anticarsia gemmatalisVelvetbean Caterpillar Moth
- Apantesis naisNais Tiger Moth
- Apantesis phalerataHarnessed Moth
- Apantesis phylliraPhyllira Tiger Moth
- Aristotelia roseosuffusellaPink-Washed Aristotelia
- Automeris ioIo Moth
- Bleptina caradrinalisBent-Winged Owlet, Variable Snout
- Caenurgina crassiusculaForage Looper Moth, Clover Looper, Range Grass Moth
- Caenurgina erechteaClover Looper Moth, Common Grass Moth, Forage Looper
- Cecropterus bathyllusSouthern Cloudywing
- Cecropterus pyladesNorthern Cloudywing
- Celypha nr.Celypha Moth
- Choephora fungorumBent-Line Dart
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
- Choristoneura zapulataZapulata Moth
- Coelostathma discopunctanaThe Batman Moth
- Colias eurythemeOrange Sulphur, Alfalfa Butterfly
- Colias philodiceClouded Sulphur, Clover Butterfly
- Cupido comyntasEastern Tailed-Blue
- Dargida diffusaWheat Head Armywotm Moth
- Dasylophia anguinaBlack-Spotted Prominent
- Echinargus isolaReakirt's Blue, Isola Blue
- Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
- Elaphria grataGrateful Midget
- Erastria colorariaBroad-Lined Erastria
- Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
- Euclidia cuspideaToothed Somberwing
- Eusarca confusariaConfused Eusarca
- Euxoa messoriaReaper Dart, Darksided Cutworm, Dark-Sided Cutworm
- Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
- Feltia manifestaAdobe Dart, Obvious
- Feltia subgothicaSubgothic Dart
- Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
- Haematopis gratariaChickweed Geometer
- Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
- Hemeroplanis scopulepesVariable Tropic
- Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
- Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Idaea furciferataNotch-Winged Wave
- Idaea obfusariaRippled Wave
- Idaea tacturataDot-Lined Wave
- Iridopsis humariaSmall Purplish Gray
- Iridopsis larvariaBent-Line Gray
- Lacinipolia explicataExplicit Groundcat, Explicit Arches
- Lacinipolia loreaBridled Arches, Bridle Groundcat
- Lacinipolia meditataThe Thinker
- Lacinipolia renigeraBristly Ground Cat, Bristly Cutworm Moth, Kidney Spotted "Mamestra"
- Lobocleta ossulariaDrab Brown Wave
- Macrochilo litophoraAngulate Fan-Foot, Brown-Lined Owlet
- Megalographa bilobaBilobed Looper Moth
- Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
- Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
- Nephelodes miniansBronzed Cutworm
- Nomophila nearcticaLucerne Moth, American Celery Webworm
- Ochropleura implectaAmerican Flame-Shouldered Dart
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
- Papaipema nebrisStalk Borer
- Phalaenostola larentioidesBlack-Banded Owlet, Black-Banded Phalaenostola
- Phoebis sennaeCloudless Sulphur
- Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
- Platynota idaeusalisTufted Apple-Bud Moth
- Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
- Protolampra brunneicollisBrown-Collared Dart
- Pyrisitia lisaLittle Yellow, Little Sulphur, Lisa Yellow
- Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
- Rachiplusia ouGray Looper
- Renia factiosalisSociable Renia, Undulate Renia, Dark-Banded Renia
- Schinia jaguarinaJaguar Flower Moth
- Scopula inductataSoft-Lined Wave
- Scopula limboundataLarge Lace-Border
- Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
- Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
- Spodoptera dolichosSweetpotato Armyworm, Dolichos Armyworm, Large Cotton Armyworm
- Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
- Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
- Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
- Trichordestra legitimaStriped Garden Caterpillar Moth
- Udea rubigalisCelery Leaftier
- Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
- Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
- Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
- Zerene cesoniaSouthern Dogface
- Aproaerema palpilineella
- Xenotemna pallorana
36BeesSoutheastern regional records
Southeastern regional records · Trifolium
Individual names are not available yet.
Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
2Specialist beesPollen specialists
Pollen specialists · Trifolium
- Calliopsis micheneri
- Megachile melanophaea
10BirdsRecorded eating Trifolium in Arkansas
Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Birds whose range includes Arkansas, most records first.
- Ruffed GrouseLeaves. 22 diet records
- Canada GooseLeaves. 9 diet records
- Wild Turkey6 diet records
- American WigeonLeaves. 2 diet records
- American Pipit1 diet record
- Dark-eyed JuncoSeeds. 1 diet record
- Smith's Longspur1 diet record
- Snow GooseLeaves. 1 diet record
- Spotted TowheeSeeds. 1 diet record
- White-crowned SparrowSeeds. 1 diet record
Direct food only. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects
Birds that eat Trifolium 10
Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab), CC0 1.0.
- Ruffed GrouseBonasa umbellus
- Canada GooseBranta canadensis
- Wild TurkeyMeleagris gallopavo
- American WigeonAnas americana
- American PipitAnthus rubescens
- Dark-eyed JuncoJunco hyemalis
- Smith's LongspurCalcarius pictus
- Snow GooseChen caerulescens
- Spotted TowheePipilo maculatus
- White-crowned SparrowZonotrichia leucophrys
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 5a–10b
- Soil pH
- Acidic
- Flower color
- Red or white
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “Spring and summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition differs)
- Flower color · “Red or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
- Hardiness · “Zones 5a–10b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Height · “Up to about 20 inches” · Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Annual, biennial or perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
- Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
- Soil · “Good drainage; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; NC Extension Plant Toolbox, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differ)
- Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Conservation status
| Arkansas rank | SNR |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G3G4 |
| AR status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
In your garden
Will it fit your yard?
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Sources
- Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Arkansas (2013)
- USDA PLANTS
- Vascular Plants of North Carolina (NC Natural Heritage Program)
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025)
- Arkansas occurrence source
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications