With St. Patrick’s Day in March, we see lots of green and four-leaf clovers. But did you know that clover can be one of a gardener’s best friends? While many people see clover as a “weed”, clover can benefit gardens, soil, bees, and wildlife. Clover is a legume (like peas!) and is a nitrogen fixer, which means it adds nitrogen to the soil, which is an essential nutrient for plants. Many farmers use clover as a cover crop to help regenerate their soil. Covering bare soil with clover can also help prevent erosion. Its flowers are also loved by butterflies and bees, and the greens are food for animals like cows, chickens, rabbits, and deer.
Here is a great link that provides more information about the benefits of clover, and ways to use it in your lawn and garden. If you were taught to hate clover, we hope you reconsider! The chance of finding a four leaf clover is about 1 in 5,000, so the more clovers you plant, the luckier you’ll get!