RED CLOVER is in flower everywhere in Europe, except in the High Arctic. It is a wild flower but is also widely cultivated for fodder. It is also very popular with honey bees seeking nectar. The tiny flowers that cluster in the flowerhead can be drawn out and sucked at the base, and often deliver a slight taste of sweetness. When the flowers die, they do not fall, but remain brown and withered among the seeds.
Another red clover that is found more in the North of England is zigzag clover. Its flowerheads are slightly larger, and it gets its name from the way in which its stalks straggle along the ground. White clover is a separate species, also found all over Europe. Its flowerheads are slightly smaller, and turn from white to pink before they turn brown.
Another member of the clover family now coming into flower is hop trefoil, or hop clover. The small yellow flowers look like hop cones when they wither. Like the other clovers, it has leaves made up of three leaflets. “Four-leafed clovers” can also be found, especially in white clover, but they are rare and are thought to bring good luck.
DJM