Trifolium repens
white clover [Blooms: May-Jun]
White clover (Trifolium repens) flowerheads. Top: an unusually open flowerhead of white clover allowing an excellent view of the tubular nature of the floret and a rare view of the calyx of a clover floret. (The calyx is the pinkish-green structure with lance-like apical teeth at the base of the florets.) Bottom: two more typical views of a white clover flowerhead with developing florets higher on the flowerhead and mature florets below. Note the very pea-like aspect of the distal parts of the florets.
White clover’s hairless, leafless flower stalks are up to 3″ long. They emerge directly from the horizontal stems and grow perpendicular to the ground, producing a single globular 3/4″ wide flowerhead at their tips. The flowerheads are all white, consisting of 20-50 pea-like florets. The florets are tubular, consisting of a green calyx with five long, narrow teeth, and five white or pinkish-white petals (a standard, two petals making the keel, and a pair of lateral petals flanking the keel). White clover is similar to alsike clover (T. hybridum), but that species usually has some pink in the flowerheads and never has white chevrons on the leaflets.
White clover (Trifolium repens) leaves. Top: a single leaf of white clover showing the upper surface of the leaf (left image) and the underside of the same leaf (right image). Note the white chevrons are visible only on the upper surface of the leaflets. Bottom left: another single leaf of white clover showing the white chevrons. Bottom right: a lawn heavily covered with white clover, its presence signaled by white chevrons on the leaves (and the single bloom).
White clover is an exotic perennial native to Eurasia, now widely naturalized (including in lawns). It is a low growing plant (about 6″) that tends to branch near the base of the stems. The hairless, light green stems can be up to a foot long and tend to sprawl across the substrate. The leaves are alternate, hairless, palmately compound with three leaflets that have sharply serrated edges (like alsike clover) more prominent near the base of the leaflets. The leaves have long (up to 8″), hairless petioles; the insertion of the petiole on the stem is flanked by a pair of narrow, 1/2″ long, membranous stipules. The leaflets are oval or egg-shaped, 3/4″ long and half as wide, with whitish inverted chevrons (often considerably faded, sometimes absent) on the middle of the leaflets.
White clover (Trifolium repens) on a lawn in Jackson Park.
White clover is an exotic perennial native to Eurasia, now widely naturalized (including in lawns). It is a low growing plant (about 6″) that tends to branch near the base of the stems. The hairless, light green stems can be up to a foot long and tend to sprawl across the substrate. The leaves are alternate, hairless, palmately compound with three leaflets that have sharply serrated edges (like alsike clover) more prominent near the base of the leaflets. The leaves have long (up to 8″), hairless petioles; the insertion of the petiole on the stem is flanked by a pair of narrow, 1/2″ long, membranous stipules. The leaflets are oval or egg-shaped, 3/4″ long and half as wide, with whitish inverted chevrons (often considerably faded, sometimes absent) on the middle of the leaflets. Hairless, leafless flower stalks up to 3″ long emerge directly from the horizontal stems and grow perpendicular to the ground, producing a single globular 3/4″ wide flowerhead at their tips. Flowerheads are all white, consisting of 20-50 pea-like florets. The florets are tubular, consisting of a green calyx with five long, narrow teeth, and five white or pinkish-white petals (a standard, two petals making the keel, and a pair of lateral petals flanking the keel). White clover is similar to alsike clover (T. hybridum), but that species usually has some pink in the flowerheads and never has 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)
![Hairy evening primrose produves an elongating spike of flowers arises from the apex of the stem; flowers bloom near the tip while older flowers and seed capsules develop below. Individual flowers are 3/4-1.5" across; they sit on a long floral tube with the ovary at its base (attached to a leaf axil). The flowers have four yellow, heart-shaped petals, eight yellow stamens, and a cross-shaped stigma on a modest style; at the base of the flower are four sepals 3/8-3/4" long, reflected back along the floral tube as the flower develops with pairs of sepals attached along one edge until the flower opens. The sepals are often red-striped or red-tinged. Note the long, hairy floral tube below the sepals, the reddish stem, and glandular hairs with red bases on the ovary. The seed capsule develops from the ovary; it is up to 1.75" long, cylindrical but tapering slightly towards the tip, with four tiny 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. 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_villosa-1t-300x300.jpg)
