White clover or Red clover: how to tell them apart?
White clover and Red clover look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
White clover
Trifolium repens
Red clover
Trifolium pratense
Red clover has an upright, non-creeping stem and darker flowers.
🍃 Leaves
Three rounded leaflets, a clear white chevron, borne on creeping stems
Three ovate leaflets, often marked with a pale chevron
🌸 Flowers
Small white flower head, sometimes tinged with pink
Small dense pink-violet flower head
🍎 Fruits
Small pod with several seeds
Small pod containing a single seed
🪵 Bark
Creeping stems that root at the nodes
Slightly hairy, non-woody herbaceous stem
📏 Size
10 to 20 cm (creeping habit)
20 to 50 cm
🗺️ Habitat
Lawns, grazed meadows, waysides
Meadows, lawns, waysides
⚠️ Toxicity
No known toxicity
No known toxicity
🔎 And from the Red clover side
Red clover has an upright, non-creeping stem and darker flowers.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.