Native & adapted
Microclover
Trifolium repens (small-leaved selections)Also known as Micro clover · White clover · Dutch clover · Clover
A small-leaved white clover that knits into a lawn or stands on its own, feeds the soil with nitrogen and stays green with less water and no fertilizer. Mixed into Bermuda or Kurapia it fills thin spots and keeps the soil alive.
Right plant, right place
Will Microclover grow at your Arizona property?
Overseed into existing turf or Kurapia at a light rate, or sow on its own over prepared soil in fall. Mowing high keeps the leaves small and the stand dense.
Best regional fit: Urban core · USDA 9b–10a, Valley suburbs · USDA 9a–9b, Desert outskirts · USDA 8b–9b.
Light
Sun exposure
Full sun in the cool season; part shade or afternoon shade in summer.
Water
Irrigation
Moderate. Less than turf once established, more than a native groundcover in summer.
Planting & stewardship
How to help Microclover thrive
- 1
Sow in fall onto loosened, raked soil and keep the surface moist until it is up.
- 2
Skip nitrogen fertilizer: the clover makes its own, and extra feeds the weeds.
- 3
Mow high, 2 to 3 inches, so it stays thick.