Red Clover

Trifolium pratense

Found in fields, roadsides, disturbed areas. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to West Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height: 6 inches–2 feet
Spread: 8–20 inches
Light: Full sun
Soil moisture: Dry to average

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Buffalo Clover
Trifolium reflexum
Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Dry to average. Flowers: Red or white.
Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous
Bluestem Goldenrod
Solidago caesia
Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Yellow.
Similar growth form, evergreen or deciduous, light
Purplehead Sneezeweed
Helenium flexuosum
Sun: Full sun. Soil: Moist to standing water. Flowers: Brown/copper or purple.
Similar growth form, spread, evergreen or deciduous

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At a glance

Life cycle: Biennial or perennial
Bloom: April to November
Fruiting season: Spring to summer

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Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 23 West Virginia 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.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 91 animals.

Least Bittern
Ixobrychus exilis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Contopus cooperi
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Orchard Oriole
Icterus spurius
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Ovenbird
Seiurus aurocapilla
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Pileated Woodpecker
Dryocopus pileatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Melanerpes carolinus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Red-shouldered Hawk
Buteo lineatus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Rough-legged Hawk
Buteo lagopus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Archilochus colubris
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Ruddy Duck
Oxyura jamaicensis
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Scarlet Tanager
Piranga olivacea
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Snowy Egret
Egretta thula
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Snowy Owl
Bubo scandiacus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Sora
Porzana carolina
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Swainson's Warbler
Limnothlypis swainsonii
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Veery
Catharus fuscescens
Birds. 1 shared habitat
White-eyed Vireo
Vireo griseus
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Worm-eating Warbler
Helmitheros vermivorum
Birds. 1 shared habitat
Yellow-throated Warbler
Dendroica dominica
Birds. 1 shared habitat

Widespread birds also seen here (36)

Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.

All wildlife of West Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

107CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Trifolium

Abaeis nicippeSleepy Orange, Sleepy Yellow, Erratic Orange
Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
Acrolophus arcanellaGrass Tubeworm Moth
Acrolophus moraDark Grass-Tubeworm
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

Show all 107

Agrotis venerabilisVenerable Dart, Dusky Cut-Worm
Agrotis volubilisVoluble Dart
Anagrapha falciferaCelery Looper Moth
Anarta trifoliiThe Nutmeg, Clover Cutworm
Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
Ancylis metamelanaBlack-Marked Ancylis, ?Clover Leaf Tier
Anicla infectaGreen Cutworm Moth
Anticarsia gemmatalisVelvetbean Caterpillar Moth
Apantesis naisNais Tiger Moth
Apantesis phalerataHarnessed Moth
Apantesis phylliraPhyllira Tiger Moth
Aristotelia roseosuffusellaPink-Washed Aristotelia
Autographa precationisCommon Looper Moth
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
Clepsis persicanaWhite Triangle Tortrix
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
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
Euxoa tessellataTessellate Dart, Striped Cutworm
Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
Feltia manifestaAdobe Dart, Obvious
Feltia subgothicaSubgothic Dart
Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
Grapholita interstinctanaClover Seed Caterpillar
Haematopis gratariaChickweed Geometer
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Hemeroplanis scopulepesVariable Tropic
Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
Hypena scabraGreen Cloverworm Bomolocha, Black Snout
Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Hyppa xylinoidesCommon Hyppa
Idaea furciferataNotch-Winged Wave
Idaea obfusariaRippled Wave
Iridopsis humariaSmall Purplish Gray
Iridopsis larvariaBent-Line Gray
Lacinipolia loreaBridled Arches, Bridle Groundcat
Lacinipolia meditataThe Thinker
Lacinipolia olivaceaOlive Arches, Olive Groundcat
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 adjunctaHitched Arches
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
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
Scopula inductataSoft-Lined Wave
Scopula limboundataLarge Lace-Border
Spaelotis clandestinaClandestine Dart, W-Marked Cutworm
Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
Sparganothis unifascianaOne-Lined Sparganothis
Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Strymon melinusGray Hairstreak
Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
Trichopolia oviducaRuddy Quaker
Trichordestra legitimaStriped Garden Caterpillar Moth
Udea rubigalisCelery Leaftier
Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
Xanthorhoe ferrugataRed Twin-Spot, Twin-Spot Carpet
Xestia c-nigrumSpotted Cut-Worm, Setaceous Hebrew Character, Lesser Black-letter Dart
Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
Aproaerema palpilineella
Xenotemna pallorana

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

2Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Trifolium

Calliopsis micheneri
Megachile melanophaea

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

8BirdsRecorded eating Trifolium in West Virginia

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Birds whose range includes West Virginia, 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
Snow Bunting1 diet record
White-crowned SparrowSeeds. 1 diet record

Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab)

Direct food only. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Birds that eat Trifolium 8

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 Grouse
Bonasa umbellus
Leaves. 22 diet records
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
Leaves. 9 diet records
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
6 diet records
American Wigeon
Anas americana
Leaves. 2 diet records
American Pipit
Anthus rubescens
1 diet record
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Seeds. 1 diet record
Snow Bunting
Plectrophenax nivalis
1 diet record
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Seeds. 1 diet record

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Fabaceae
Hardiness: Zones 3a–9b
Soil pH: Acidic to neutral
Flower color: Pink
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth habit: Single crown
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: Spring
Fruit ends: Summer

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “April to November” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Pink” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Spring” · 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 · “Single crown” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “6 inches–2 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
Life cycle · “Biennial or perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Minnesota Wildflowers differs)
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “8–20 inches” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Conservation status

West Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	GNR
WV status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source