Practical
Plants

Trifolium subterraneum

Subterranean Clover

an annual member of the Trifolium genus in the family Leguminosae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
annual
Height
0.2 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Leaves - raw or cooked.

Plant part
Leaves

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

This plant can be grown as a ground cover green manure under tomatoes in the greenhouse. The seed should be sown before planting the tomatoes[4]. It can also be sown under soft fruit and cut once or twice in the summer[4].

Environment

Range
Southern and western Europe, including Britain.
Habitat
Sandy and gravelly pastures, also on cliff tops, avoiding acid soils and shady positions[1].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Pre-soak the seed for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in spring in situ. If the seed is in short supply it might be better to sow it in pots in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in late spring.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Succeeds in a moist, well-drained circum-neutral soil in full sun[2]. Succeeds in poor soils. Plants are partially winter hardy[4]. After flowering, the fruiting head grows into the ground, thereby planting the seed. This species grows well in an apple orchard, the trees will produce tastier fruit that stores better[3]. It should not be grown with camellias or gooseberries, however, because it harbours a mite that can cause fruit drop in the gooseberries and premature budding in the camellias[3]. This species has a symbiotic relationship with certain soil bacteria, these bacteria form nodules on the roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen. Some of this nitrogen is utilized by the growing plant but some can also be used by other plants growing nearby[2]. Buttercups growing nearby depress the growth of the nitrogen bacteria by means of a root exudate[3]. When removing plant remains at the end of the growing season, it is best to only remove the aerial parts of the plant, leaving the roots in the ground to decay and release their nitrogen.

References

  1. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩

  2. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  3. Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34324-2

    ↩1↩2↩3

  4. Woodward. L. Burge. P. Green Manures. Elm Farm Research Centre. 1982-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

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