Trifolium aureum Pollich Trifolium agrarium Trifolium agrarium L. nom. utique rej. Trifolium agrarium L. p.p. Hop clover, large hop clover, large hop trefoil, golden clover
Hop clover is a native of central and southern Europe, now well established in North America. The common name signifies the resemblance of this clover to hops. Identification: Trifolium (“three-leaved”) is a large genus, and three common yellow hop clovers are compared below. Black medic, a relative, looks closely similar to low hop clover, so this is included too.
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5/31/2010 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts 6/13/2016 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts |
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You are here Trifolium aureum |
Trifolium campestre |
Trifolium dubium |
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Common Name | ![]() |
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Plant | Plants 6-18" (15-45 cm) high. | Up to 16" (40 cm) tall, sometimes erect, sometimes growing along the ground | 2-6" (5-15 cm) tall, often forming mats. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Flowers | About ¾" (1.9 cm) high. Flowers turn brown and wilt, seeds fall to the ground instead of forming a fruit | Yellow, less than ½" (1.3 cm) across; roughly spherical, with 20-40 individual flowers; flowerheads become brown with age. Upper petals of the flowers have grooves. | About ¼" (6.3 mm) yellow flowerheads, oval to spherical, 5-15 flowers per head. Flowers turn brown when seeds ripen. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leaves | Groups of 3. Central leaf is not on a separate stem (petiole). Leaflets about ¾" (1.9 cm) long, ¼" (6.3 mm) wide. | Groups of 3, about ¾" (1.9 cm) long; with small teeth near the leaf tips. The central leaf is on a longer stem (petiole) than with other hop clovers, often notched at the top | Alternate, in groups of 3, with a larger center leaf on a short petiole (stem), often notched at the top. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stem | Multiply branched, usually erect | Green or reddish green, multiply branched | Green or reddish, multiply branched. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Seeds | Inconspicuous | Inconspicuous | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fruit | Inconspicuous. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Range/ Zones |
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Habitats | Grasslands, fields, roadsides, wastelands | Temperate grasslands, fields, roadsides, wastelands, cultivated fields | Disturbed soil, meadows, common in lawns. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type | Wild | Wild | Wild | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Occurrence | Common | Common | Common |
Edibility: With most clovers, flower heads (and possibly leaves) may be juiced or boiled and eaten. Dried flower heads and seed pods are also edible.[1] However, I could not find specific edibility information for hop clover, nor could I for the similar-appearing plant black medic (Medicago lupulina).
Online References:
Trifolium aureum at Illinois Wildflowers
Trifolium aureum on WikiBooks.org
Trifolium aureum on the USDA Plants Database
Trifolium aureum at Minnesota Wildflowers
Trifolium aureum on Delaware Wildflowers
Trifolium aureum on Wikimedia Commons
Trifolium aureum on eFloras
Trifolium aureum from the Jepson Manual
References:
6/2/2010 · J. Harry Rich State Forest, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 3 × 4" (7.9 × 10 cm)
7/6/2017 · Mt. Watatic, access road, Ashby, Massachusetts
≈ 3 × 4" (8.3 × 10 cm)
12/12/2020 · By Richard Old, XID Services, Inc., United States
6/29/2014 · Mount Agamenticus, York, Maine
≈ 9 × 6" (22 × 15 cm)
6/29/2014 · Mount Agamenticus, York, Maine
≈ 9 × 6" (22 × 15 cm)
Trifolium aureum description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.
© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.
6/16/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 4 × 3" (10 × 7.8 cm)
6/17/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashoba Hospital, Massachusetts
≈ 6 × 8" (14 × 20 cm)
5/31/2010 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 3½ × 5" (9.2 × 13 cm)
6/14/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 2½ × 3½" (6.6 × 8.8 cm) ID is uncertain
6/2/2010 · J. Harry Rich State Forest, Groton, Massachusetts
≈ 7 × 4½" (17 × 11 cm)
5/31/2010 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts
≈ 3 × 2½" (8.4 × 6.8 cm)
Range: