Information on Red Clover

Red clover, or Trifolium pratense, is recognized as a common weed but has a tradition of use in folk medicine. You might be familiar with its common names: cow clover, meadow clover and wild clover. Red clover is an edible plant and Europeans consume it in salads and sandwiches. Known to be relatively harmless, the University of Michigan Health System posts a warning against consuming fermented red clover, as it may cause bleeding.

Characteristics

Red clover is a perennial, which means it takes more than two years to complete its lifecycle. Commonly used in pastures and animal-food mixes, red clover typically seeds itself in neighboring turfgrass. Found throughout North America, it grows to a height of 8 to 20 inches. Red clover has three elliptical leaflets, marked with a light green or white "V." The telltale sign you have red clover are its deep pink or red blossoms. You can find red clover growing wild in every U.S. state and in Puerto Rico.

Pasture Renovation

Red clover is just the right cover for pasture renovation. It provides an excellent summer grazing source for livestock and provides nitrogen to the soil and surrounding grasses.

Clinical Studies

No scientific evidence supports prescribing red clover as a medicinal herb, according to clinical studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research and the School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences at the University of Sydney.

Folk Medicine

Despite the lack of scientific evidence in its favor, red clover is a traditional folk remedy. Information gathered by the Georgetown University Medical Center shows Native Americans looked to red clover remedies to treat cancer, gout and whooping cough. Settlers in the Eastern and Central states used red clover to alleviate the symptoms of asthma and other respiratory conditions. Traditional Chinese medicine used it as a diuretic and cough expectorant.

Tea

Although red clover is not currently recognized as a curative for any health condition, red clover tea is easy to make, has a mild taste and is considered safe in healthy, non-pregnant adults. It contains calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine and vitamin C. The University of Michigan Health System offers the following red clover tea recipe. Place 2 or 3 tsp. of dried red clover flowers at the bottom of a mug and pour a cup of boiling water over the top. Cover and steep for 10 to 15 minutes.