Taxonomy
Trifolium repens | White Clover | Seamair bhán
Distribution
Status
Conservation status
Not protected
Native status
Native
Species Biology
Habitat
Meadows, pastures and roadsides
Life cycle
Perennial
Ex-situ conservation
Seed accessions in the National Genebank, Backweston. Material held by Oakpark, Teagasc. Living collection in the National Botanic Garden.
Use
Legume forage crop
Vegetative nature
Herbaceous
Distribution
World distribution(GBIF)
Temporal change
Records submitted to Data Centre in 2024
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Further information
Besides making an excellent forage crop for livestock, clovers are a valuable survival food: they are high in proteins, widespread, and abundant. The fresh plants have been used for centuries as additives to salads and other meals consisting of leafy vegetables. They are not easy for humans to digest raw, however, but this is easily fixed by boiling the harvested plants for 5-10 minutes. Dried flower heads and seedpods can also be ground up into nutritious flour and mixed with other foods, or can be steeped. White clover flour is sometimes sprinkled onto cooked foods such as boiled rice.