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Fabaceae FAMILY

Trifolium hybridum

Trifolium hybridum

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

Eating this plant can cause bloat, especially if larger quantities are consumed[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Trifolium hybridum is a plant of the temperate to subtropical zones, where it is found at elevations up to 2,000 metres. It is adapted to a wide range of environments but grows best in cool rather than warm temperate conditions. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 12 - 20°c, but can tolerate 4 - 27°c[2]. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -10°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at 0°c[2]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 700 - 900mm, but tolerates 300 - 1,800mm[2]. Succeeds in a moist, well-drained circum-neutral soil in full sun, tolerating light shade[3, 2]. Succeeds in poor soils. Plants can tolerate short periods of the soil being inundated[2]. Tolerates moderate levels of salinity[2]. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 8[2]. Closely related to T. Repens[4]. It grows well in an apple orchard, the trees will produce tastier fruit that stores better[5]. It should not be grown with camellias or gooseberries because it harbours a mite that can cause fruit drop in the gooseberries and premature budding in the camellias[5]. 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[3]. Buttercups growing nearby depress the growth of the nitrogen bacteria by means of a root exudate[5].

Propagation

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 after the last expected frosts. Division in spring. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Trifolium+hybridum>

Pollinators

Bees, Insects

References

  1. [1]Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol. 7 — Government Printing Office; Washington · 1900 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ ↩︎A botanical journal. Rather dated, but it includes an ethnobotanical report from California and an early monograph of N. American Apiaceae. It can be downloaded from the Internet
  2. [2]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. — Hitchcock. C. L. · University of Washington Press · 1955 · ISBN - ↩︎A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.
  5. [5]A - Z of Companion Planting. — Allardice.P. · Cassell Publishers Ltd. · 1993 · ISBN 0-304-34324-2 ↩︎A well produced and very readable book.
  6. [6]Flora of the British Isles. — Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. · Cambridge University Press · 1962 · ISBN - ↩︎A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures.
  7. [7]AgroAtlas — http://www.agroatlas.ru/en/index.html ↩︎An on-line database of economic plants of Russia and the surrounding countries that formed the USSR, giving botanical descriptions, distribution, habitats and uses. It also gives comprehensive information on climate, soil, pests, diseases etc
  8. [8]Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications · 1990 · ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 ↩︎Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
  9. [9]Native American Ethnobotany — Moerman. D. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 1998 · ISBN 0-88192-453-9 ↩︎Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.