Bull clover facts for kids

Trifolium fucatum, also known as bull clover or sour clover, is a type of clover plant. You can find it growing naturally in California and Oregon. It grows well in many different places and is quite common in some areas. This clover is special because it's an edible plant!

What Does Bull Clover Look Like?

Bull clover is an annual plant. This means it grows from a seed, flowers, produces new seeds, and then dies all within one year. It grows as a herb, which is a plant with soft stems, not woody ones like trees.

The plant can grow in different ways. Sometimes its stems lie flat on the ground (this is called decumbent). Other times, they stand straight up (this is called erect). The stems are often thick and hollow inside.

Leaves and Flowers

The leaves of bull clover are made up of smaller, oval or round parts called leaflets. The edges of these leaflets can be smooth or have small teeth. The leaves also have large, leaf-like parts at their base called stipules.

The flowers grow together in a cluster called an inflorescence, or flower head. This head sits on a base of wide, leaf-like structures called bracts. Each flower has a colorful part called a corolla, which is about 1 to 2 centimeters long. The corolla is usually white or yellowish, often with purple tips. As the plant grows and the fruit starts to form, the flower becomes puffy or inflated.

How to Plant Bull Clover

If you want to plant bull clover, it's best to scatter the seeds in areas where there aren't many weedy grasses. Weedy grasses can compete with the clover for water and nutrients.

It's also a good idea to avoid planting bull clover near other types of clover that aren't native to the area. Non-native clovers can also compete with the native bull clover.

Protecting Your Plants

Bull clover can sometimes be attacked by slugs and snails that are not native to the area. These pests can harm the plants. If you're growing bull clover, you might need to take steps to keep these slugs and snails away.

How People Use Bull Clover

Many parts of the bull clover plant are edible! You can eat the leaves, flowers, young seedpods, and even the seeds. It's best to eat bull clover before or during its flowering time.

You can eat it raw, or you can cook it by baking or steaming. When you harvest the leaves, try to take only a few from each plant. This way, you don't destroy the whole plant, and it can keep growing. Bull clover often tastes better when it grows in moist soil.

Traditional Use

Long ago, Indigenous peoples ate these clovers. Records show they would gather and eat them from February to April, before the plants started to bloom.

Eating Safely

It's a good idea to dip or boil bull clover in salt water before you eat it. This can help prevent an upset stomach. When you try it for the first time, eat only a small amount. This lets you see how your body reacts to it. For most people, eating a moderate amount of bull clover is perfectly fine and doesn't cause any problems.