Trifolium pratense
red clover [Blooms: Apr-Jun]
Red clover (Trifolium pratense) flowerheads. Bottom right: a red clover flowerhead. This bloom nicely illustrates the “tubular modification of a typical pea-like flower” mentioned in the notes — the florets on the bottom of the flowerhead are spread and you can easily see the long, tubular corolla behind the pea-like apex. Note the pinkish-purple color of all the florets. Bottom left: a similar illustration of the tubular pea-like florets, but only visible in the bottom-most florets. The pink and white stripes visible on the standards of this flowerhead are a common character on red clover but difficult to see with the naked eye. Also note the hairy flower stalk partially visible in the lower left of the image. Top: a red clover flowerhead with two leaves at the base of the flower stalk.
The upper stems of red clover end in 3/4-1″ wide pinkish-purple (not actually red) flowerheads, usually with 1-3 leaflets or a compound leaf and some pointed bracts immediately below the bloom. The florets are tubular modification of a typical pea-like flower with five petals; the upper petal (the standard) is slightly longer than the other four petals and has a slightly pointed tip. Red clover is easily identified by the pinkish-purple flowerheads, the leaflets inserted just below the flowerheads, and the white chevrons on the leaflets.
Red clover (Trifolium pratense) stems and leaves. Bottom right: a leaf growing from a primary stem; the leaflets each bear the white “chevron” marks typical of red clover. A secondary stem has emerged from the axil of the leaf and is wrapped in a sheath at its base. Top right, bottom left: stems bearing leaves and immature flowerheads. Note that, even though the flowerheads are (mostly) too immature to show the characteristic pinkish-purple color, the presence of the white chevrons on the leaves would be sufficient to indicate red clover as a possible identification. Top left: a hairy, reddish-brown stem of red clover.
Red clover is an exotic biennial or perennial native to the Old World but long naturalized in both North and South America (the former since the late 1600s). It grows to heights of 6-24″ with numerous branches. The stems are hairy; they may be sprawling or erect. The leaves are alternate, palmately compound, with three leaflets; lower leaves have long, hairy petioles while the upper leaves are sessile or nearly so. The leaflets are large (up to 2″ long and 3/4″ across), oval or a bluntly pointed egg shape, with whitish or light green inverted chevrons in the middle of the leaflets (often considerably faded). The leaflets are all sessile and have smooth margins.
A stand of red clover (Trifolium pratense) on the south shore of the cove of East Lagoon that is west of the Driving Range.
Red clover is an exotic biennial or perennial native to the Old World but long naturalized in both North and South America (the former since the late 1600s). It grows to heights of 6-24″ with numerous branches. The stems are hairy; they may be sprawling or erect. The leaves are alternate, palmately compound, with three leaflets; lower leaves have long, hairy petioles while the upper leaves are sessile or nearly so. The leaflets are large (up to 2″ long and 3/4″ across), oval or a bluntly pointed egg shape, with whitish or light green inverted chevrons in the middle of the leaflets (often considerably faded). The leaflets are all sessile and have smooth margins. The upper stems end in 3/4-1″ wide pinkish-purple (not actually red) flowerheads, usually with 1-3 leaflets or a compound leaf and some pointed bracts immediately below the bloom. The florets are tubular modification of a typical pea-like flower with five petals; the upper petal (the standard) is slightly longer than the other four petals and has a slightly pointed tip. Red clover is easily identified by the pinkish-purple flowerheads, the leaflets inserted just below the flowerheads, and the white chevrons on the leaflets.
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![Evening primrose — clusters of yellow flowers occur at the apex of the plant. The flowers are 1-2" across, with four 1/2-1" long green sepals strongly reflected over a long (3/4-2"), green, cylindrical floral tube (the ovary is located just above the leaf axil), four heart-shaped yellow petals, eight stamens, and a single style with an X-shaped stigma. The sepals typically remain connected (in pairs) along one edge until the flower opens. The seedpods develop within the ovary (the base of the elongate floral tube); they are hairy, urn-shaped with rounded edges, and have four or eight small lobes on the apex. The seeds are claimed to remain viable in the soil for up to 70 years. The flowers open at dusk and close early in the day. — — — There are (at least) three evening primroses in Jackson Park — common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), northern evening primrose (Oenothera parviflora), and hairy evening primrose (Oenothera villosa). They are easily confused with each other. (Judging by the conflicts between the accounts on Illinois Wildflowers [https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/], Minnesota Wildflowers [https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/], and Missouri Plants [http://www.missouriplants.com/], even the experts are confused.) All three species have yellow flowers with an X-shaped stigma, reflected sepals, petals with a small notch in their apex, stems that may be red or green, and lance-shaped leaves with short, widely-spaced teeth. Northern evening primrose is distinguished by (1) the presence of a knob or ridge at the tip of each sepal which the other two species lack (2) a seed capsule with four robust, flaring lobes with rounded tips at the apex of the seed capsule, and (3) a stigma that is very robust and almost fills the opening of the flower. Northern evening primrose has green to yellowish-green sepals. Hairy evening primrose (often but not always) has (1) striped or reddish-tinged sepals (check the buds where this character is often easier to see), (2) flowers that turn orange as they begin to senesce (although the reliability of this character is uncertain), and (3) always has glandular hairs covering the ovary that have "pimple-like" bright-red bases; these red pimples may also occur on the stems. All three species are somewhat similar to prairie sundrop (O. pilosella); the latter has very hairy stems and leaves, and translucent lines that radiate from the base of the petals in the flowers.](https://jacksonparkwildflowers.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Oenothera_biennis-1t-300x300.jpg)
![Northern evening primrose flowers are 3/4-1.5" across, have four yellow, heart-shaped petals, eight yellow stamens, and a cross-shaped stigma on a modest style; the stamens are as long or longer than the petals and the stigma is nearly fills the floral opening. At the base of the flower are four sepals 1/2-1" long, that bend back along the 3/4-1.5" long floral tube as the flower develops with pairs of sepals attached along one edge until the flower opens. Only northern evening primrose with a distinct ridge or knob near the tips of the sepals. The seed capsule develops from the ovary; it is 3/4-1.5" long, cylindrical but tapering slightly towards the tip, with four robust, flaring lobes at the tip. — — — There are (at least) three evening primroses in Jackson Park — common evening primrose (Oenothera biennis), northern evening primrose (Oenothera parviflora), and hairy evening primrose (Oenothera villosa). They are easily confused with each other. (Judging by the conflicts between the accounts on Illinois Wildflowers [https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/], Minnesota Wildflowers [https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/], and Missouri Plants [http://www.missouriplants.com/], even the experts are confused.) All three species have yellow flowers with an X-shaped stigma, reflected sepals, petals with a small notch in their apex, stems that may be red or green, and lance-shaped leaves with short, widely-spaced teeth. Northern evening primrose is distinguished by (1) the presence of a knob or ridge at the tip of each sepal which the other two species lack (2) a seed capsule with four robust, flaring lobes with rounded tips at the apex of the seed capsule, and (3) a stigma that is very robust and almost fills the opening of the flower. Northern evening primrose has green to yellowish-green sepals and is the only one of the three evening primroses to (sometimes) have reddish color on some or all of the midvein of the leaves. Hairy evening primrose (often but not always) has (1) striped or reddish-tinged sepals (check the buds where this character is often easier to see), (2) flowers that turn orange as they begin to senesce (although the reliability of this character is uncertain), and (3) always has glandular hairs covering the ovary that have "pimple-like" bright-red bases; these red pimples may also occur on the stems. All three species are somewhat similar to prairie sundrop (O. pilosella); the latter has very hairy stems and leaves, and translucent lines that radiate from the base of the petals in the flowers.](https://jacksonparkwildflowers.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Oenothera_parviflora-1t-300x300.jpg)
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