White Clover
Trifolium repens
In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in lawns, roadsides, disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you
—
Not native
Not native to Arkansas. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 82%
- Height
- 4–6 inches
- Spread
- 1 foot
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil moisture
- Usually moist
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At a glance
- Life cycle
- Perennial
- Leaves
- Deciduous
- Bloom
- January to November
- Fruiting season
- Summer
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Recorded in 44 Arkansas counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
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
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
2Specialist beesPollen specialists
Pollen specialists · Trifolium
- Calliopsis micheneri
- Megachile melanophaea
24BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Trifolium
- Ammospiza leconteiiLeConte's Sparrow
- Anser caerulescensSnow Goose
- Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
- Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
- Branta canadensisCanada Goose
- Calcarius pictusSmith's Longspur
- Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
- Centrocercus urophasianusGreater Sage-Grouse
- Dendragapus obscurusDusky Grouse
- Falcipennis canadensisSpruce Grouse
Show all 24
- Junco hyemalisDark-eyed Junco
- Lagopus lagopusWillow Ptarmigan
- Lagopus leucuraWhite-tailed Ptarmigan
- Mareca americanaAmerican Wigeon
- Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
- Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee
- Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
- Ortalis vetulaPlain Chachalaca
- Perdix perdixGray Partridge
- Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
- Plectrophenax nivalisSnow Bunting
- Tympanuchus phasianellusSharp-tailed Grouse
- Zonotrichia atricapillaGolden-crowned Sparrow
- Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow
Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Fabaceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 3a–10b
- Soil pH
- Acidic to alkaline
- Flower color
- White
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Growth habit
- Spreads by runners
- Foliage color
- Green
- Fruit begins
- Summer
- Fruit ends
- Summer
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “January to November” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Flower color · “White” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit ends · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth habit · “Spreads by runners” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth rate · “Moderate” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Hardiness · “Zones 3a–10b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Height · “4–6 inches” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- 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
- primary_flower_color · “white” · USDA PLANTS
- Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Soil pH · “Acidic to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Spread · “1 foot” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Conservation status
| Arkansas rank | SNA |
|---|---|
| Global rank | GNR |
| AR status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
Sources
- Atlas of the Vascular Plants of Arkansas (2013)
- USDA PLANTS
- Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition
- NatureServe Explorer
- 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