4 useful facts about clover: a medicinal plant you can grow

Clover (or red clover) has been known since the Middle Ages as essential forage grass that improves soil fertility. It contains phytoestrogens and as such is increasingly prescribed formenopausal disorders. Here is some useful and practical information on this plant.

• Location: Clover prefers light, well-drained soil and full sun.
• Multiplication: Sow in spring.
• Care: Make sure that it is not stifled by other grasses until it is well established.
• Pests and diseases: Powdery mildew can occur in dry weather.
• Harvest and conservation: harvest the many blooming flowers. Use fresh or dried. The "Susan Smith" variety is a nice form of clover with yellow veined leaves, also known as "Dolly North" or "Goldnet". This is an unusual and very tolerant variety that likes pots or hanging baskets.

• Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is a herbaceous perennial that is strong, short and sprawling. Trifoliate leaves are arranged on stems of 20 to 60 centimetres (eight to 25 inches) at the ends of many secondary stems, and each leaf is marked by a paler central arrow.
• Flower heads are round, composed of many pink-purple flowers. Rich in nectar, they are honey plants.
• Like other plants, the roots of clover are carriers of bacteria that take nitrogen from the atmosphere and improve soil fertility.
• If you have meadows or prairies of floral fallow, consider planting clovers for bees and for herbal teas.
• Everything is edible in clover, but it must be soaked beforehand in salt water.

• The usable parts are the flower heads and once isolated, the phytoestrogens. Clover flowers are traditionally prescribed, in internal or external form, for chronic disease such as eczema and psoriasis, particularly in children.
• Taken as a tea or syrup, the flowers soothe the cough associated with respiratory diseases such as bronchitis.
• The main medicinal application is due to the presence of isoflavones in the flowers and leaves. Once isolated, these components have slightly estrogenic properties, and clinical trials suggest they could contribute to the reduction of symptoms associated with menopause.
• For proper use, consult your doctor or herbalist.
• Clover is not recommended for pregnant or nursing women.

• Missionary and evangelist of fifth-century Ireland, St. Patrick used three-leaf clover leaflets to explain the mystery of the Holy Trinity, the doctrine that God is at once Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• This became the origin of the Irish shamrock, national emblem of Northern Ireland.