White Sweet Clover
Melilotus alba
Summary 2
Melilotus albus (Bokhara clover, honey clover, tree clover, sweet clover, white-flowered sweet clover, white sweet clover, white melilot), is a legume sometimes grown for forage. White sweet clover is a major source of nectar for an apiary. Its characteristic sweet odour, intensified by drying, is derived from coumarin.
Description 3
Family:
Fabaceae (Pea)
Height:
2 to 8 feet
Leaves:
Alternate, with three small leaflets with fine teeth. Middle leaflet has a short stalk.
Flower:
Small white flowers crowded onto a 4 inch spike throughout the plant
Bloom time:
June-October
Nicknames:
White-flowered Sweet Clover, White Melilot, Field Melilot, Ribbed Melilot, Bokhara Clover, Honey Clover, Tree Clover, Cornilla Real
Habitat:
Prairies, disturbed areas
Can I plant this in my garden?
No, white sweet clover is an invasive weed that should be removed where found. It can be controlled by cutting the vegetation down before flowering to prevent seed production. Small plants can be pulled by hand or dug out.
References:
https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/white-sweet-clover
Range 3
Sources and Credits
- (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, all rights reserved, uploaded by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
- Adapted by Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melilotus_albus
- (c) Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
- iNat taxon page
- African Plants - a photo guide
- Atlas of Living Australia
- Biodiversity Heritage Library
- BOLD Systems BIN search
- Calflora
- CalPhotos
- Catalogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia
- eFloras.org
- Flora Digital de Portugal
- Flora of North America (beta)
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
- Go Botany
- HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
- IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
- Jepson eFlora
- Maryland Biodiversity Project
- NatureServe Explorer 2.0
- NBN Atlas
- New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
- OregonFlora.org
- SEINet Symbiota portals
- Tropicos
- USDA PLANTS database
- VASCAN by Canadensys
- World Flora Online
- 日本のレッドデータ検索システム
- 植物和名−学名インデックス YList
iNat Map
| Family | Fabaceae |
|---|---|
| Habit | Forb |
| Origin | introduced |
| Flower | white |
| Life cycle | annual, biennial, perennial |
| Listing | invasive |
| Bloom time | (6) June, (7) July, (8) August, (9) September, 10 - October |
| *sites | Lake Phalen, Snail Lake |
