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Clover: Pros & Controversy

Jump to a section:

  • Clover Megathread
  • Clover Controversy
  • So should YOU plant clover?
  • Information on Clover
  • Types of Clovers
  • Quick Facts
  • Clover Links
  • Planting Guide Links
     

Check out the Clover Megathread

You can travel over to Reddit and check out the clover megathread.

Clover Controversy

Info taken from this post:

I see so many posts here with people seeking assistance planting a clover lawn. There are many issues with this but I'll break it down to two main points.

They aren't native to the US where many of these posts come from. (Some clover IS native, do your research) Please, please reconsider this and instead seek out appropriate native groundcovers that will serve the no-lawn purpose while also providing benefits to local wildlife. Mixtures of sedges and rushes with small forbs mixed in will go a lot further than replacing one monoculture with another. You may delight in seeing honeybees stopping by but they are not native to the US and in effect, steal food from native pollinators who rely on plants that bloom seasonally depending on your location, especially those early spring and late fall blooms.

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The instructions are on the bag of seed and website you order the seed from, and there are numerous explanations in this subreddit that detail how to kill off a lawn prior to reseeding with another ground cover. These posts never have thought out discussions and clog up the sub with low effort questions that could have been searched up.

I am an ecologist who works in native area management and restoration and as a group we really need to do better to make sure people are informed when they make these kinds of decisions. Simply adding a clover lawn is not going to have the impact people think it will, will not save your local pollinators, and may even proliferate invasive and non-native insect species.

-u/The_Poster_Nutbag

So Should YOU Plant Clover?

This is going to depend on a few things to ask yourself:

  • Is it invasive to my area? If yes, don't do it.

  • Is it native to my area? If no, do your research to see if it's OK to plant.

  • Do I have native alternatives? If you have native alternatives, those are generally a better option.

  • Do I have the time and availability to do something else? If yes, go native!

  • Are you looking for a short term or, easy solution? If yes, as long as you do your research this is totally OK.

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In all honesty adding clover to your yard is definitely better than doing nothing. Doing something is always going to be better than doing nothing. It's a great start, as long as it's not invasive or bad to your ecosystem, it's generally beneficial (do your research!). And overall is a great way to start your no lawns journey. It can also be a great option when done right, for keeping some type of lawn for children and pets or just general hanging out in.

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Redirecting to a lawn reduction strategy first may be a great option as well. Replacing lawn with native plants is the best thing you can do your your local ecosystem. Not everyone will have the space to do a large prairie, but even a small plot or one native tree is better than nothing. Starting with smaller scale planting is a viable option.

 

Clover is a great "gateway drug" to going no lawn. It's a nice place to start while you learn, you research, and you figure out what your ends goals are. That being said, here is a little information on clover, you should absolutely research your region and what works best in your area before planting anything including clover. Good luck No Lawns friends!

Information on Clover

Check out the Wikipedia on clover. You can also see these planting guide links (don't forget to look up info for YOUR region as well).

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Why do we use clover? A lot of people choose clover because it's a pretty quick install, you can just overseed your current grass and you should see clover in a few weeks with a little bit of watering. Clover is great for those who want to keep some grass in their yard for playing on and such because clover will reduce the need to use fertilizers in your existing grass making it slightly more environmentally friendly. Clover is low to no maintenance and overall easy to take care of.

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Are there cons to clover? (See above)

Clover doesn't stand up well to high traffic. It's better mixed with grass as far as a traffic standpoint. The shorter growing clover isn't native to a lot of areas even though it can be grown well in these areas. Native plants are generally better for wildlife. In some climates and regions clover can be over powered by natives and/or non-natives.

Types of Clover

Not all types of clover will be suitable to all applications. You should also make sure any type of plants you introduce to your area are not invasive. It's always best to plant native when possible but, that's not always an option for all applications.

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Perennials

These are the most common but, others do exist

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Annuals

These are the most common but, others do exist

Quick Clover Facts

  • Clover is a nitrogen fixer in most lawns which reduces or eliminates the need for fertilizers in grass

  • Clover is a member of the legume family

  • Microclover was introduced to the US in 2005

Planting Guide Links

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