Clovers

Yellow blossom sweet clover is a biennial legume valued for its deep taproot, strong nitrogen‑fixing ability, and adaptability to drought, alkaline soils, and low‑fertility sites. It provides fair‑to‑good quality forage for pasture or hay when harvested early, improves soil structure and fertility, and is also highly attractive to pollinators, though it must be well managed to avoid bloat and quality loss as the plants become stemmy with maturity.

Single‑cut red clover also known as mammoth or late‑flowering red clover, is a short‑lived perennial legume valued for its hardiness, persistence, and high‑quality forage production. It produces one main harvest per year because regrowth is slow, but it is well adapted to cooler climates and moderately acidic soils, provides high protein and good digestibility when cut at early bloom, fixes nitrogen for soil improvement, and is commonly used for hay, limited grazing, stockpiling, and land reclamation when managed carefully to preserve stand longevity.

White blossom sweet clover is a biennial legume used for pasture, hay, soil improvement, and wildlife habitat, noted for its tall growth, deep taproot, and strong nitrogen‑fixing ability. It is drought tolerant, winter hardy, and well adapted to a wide range of soils—including alkaline and low‑fertility sites—while providing fair‑to‑good quality forage when harvested or grazed early, along with excellent value for pollinators, though careful management is needed to avoid bloat and coumarin‑related livestock issues.

Alsike clover is a short‑lived perennial legume commonly grown in pasture and hay mixtures, particularly in cool climates where soils are acidic, poorly drained, or seasonally wet. It provides moderate‑to‑high quality, palatable forage, fixes nitrogen to improve soil fertility, and mixes well with grasses such as timothy and tall fescue, though it has low drought tolerance and requires careful management due to bloat risk and occasional toxicity issues in horses.

Double‑cut red clover also known as medium red clover, is a short‑lived perennial legume valued for its ability to produce two (sometimes three) harvests per year under good moisture and moderate temperatures. Compared with single‑cut (mammoth) types, it flowers earlier, regrows faster after cutting, and provides higher seasonal forage yield and flexibility, but generally has lower long‑term persistence. It produces leafy, highly palatable, high‑protein forage for hay, silage, and controlled grazing, fixes nitrogen for soil improvement, and performs well on moderately acidic, well‑drained soils where alfalfa may struggle.

White clover is a low‑growing, cool‑season perennial legume that spreads by creeping stolons and is one of the most important pasture legumes in temperate regions. It produces highly palatable, protein‑rich forage, fixes atmospheric nitrogen to improve soil fertility, and is especially valued in grazed pasture systems for its excellent tolerance to close, frequent grazing. 

White clover thrives in cool, moist climates on fertile soils with adequate lime and performs best in grass–legume mixtures with species such as perennial ryegrass, orchardgrass, bromegrass, or tall fescue. Its ability to fill gaps in pasture sod improves forage yield and seasonal distribution, while enhancing diet quality and animal performance.