White Clover - Guide to Wild Flowers

So here we go the first plant from the Guide to Wild Flowers. 157 wild flowers and plants are listed in the book, which has been with me for many years. My aim to photography each one in my own Quirky way whilst sharing the beauty of nature and encouraging you to share it with others. There may be plants which you knew as a child and you can gift that knowledge your children or grandchildren. They may be new to you too. Most of the plants are familiar to me, I am no expert but I'd love to know more hence the blog in which I'll share my discoveries.

As a pre technology child, I was drawn to being outside and I still am. I grew up passing time looking for a 4 leaved Clover identified as 'White Clover, summer and autumn'. It's out there now. White Clover grows low to the ground often amongst grass in gardens or fields. It has many benefits including use in medicine and farming. I knew it as a child as Lucky Clover hoping that finding a four leaved Clover would bring my good luck. They are rare but do exist, even rarer are five or six leaves.

White Clover the hint of pink shows an aging flower.

In herbal medicine White Clover infusion can be used to treat fever, coughs, and colds. Herbal tea aids rheumatic aches and arthritis. It can also be used as an eyewash to cure minor eye infections or applied on the skin to heal wounds, burns, ulcers, and sores.

In farming or gardening, Clover can be sown alone or in mixture with ryegrass, it grows freely, shooting up again after repeated mowings. It is palatable to and nutritious for livestock and it fixes nitrogen reducing the need for synthetic fertilisers.

Clovers are pollinated by bumblebees, which have declined need our help to prevent decline. Honeybees can also pollinate clover, and beekeepers are often in heavy demand from farmers with clover pastures. Farmers reap the benefits of increased reseeding that occurs with increased bee activity, which means that future clover yields remain abundant. Beekeepers benefit from the clover bloom, as clover is one of the main nectar sources for Honeybees.

White Clover with three leaves. It is rare to find a four leaf clover, even rarer are five or six leaves.

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Canon 700D,

SIGMA 105mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM MACRO lens.

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Inspired by a Guide to Wild Flowers published in 1979 which belonged to my grandparents and a wish to photograph each plant in the book. A hope that adults and children may take the time to look for native wild flowers in a time when rewilding interest is high. Share your finds using #guidetowildflowers.