Bearded clover facts for kids

Trifolium barbigerum is a type of clover plant. It is often called bearded clover because of its unique hairy flowers. This plant is an annual herb, meaning it grows from a seed, blooms, produces seeds, and then dies all within one year.

Where Does It Grow?

The bearded clover naturally grows in parts of California and Oregon. You can find it in central coastal areas and northern California, usually below 700 metres (2,300 ft) in elevation.

Some specific places where it lives include the northern Channel Islands off the coast of California. It also grows in the California Coast Ranges and around the San Francisco Bay Area.

This clover can be found in many different natural areas. These include grassy coastal fields, forests with mixed evergreen trees, and pine forests. It also likes wetlands and areas near rivers or streams (called riparian areas). Sometimes, you can even spot it in places where the ground has been disturbed or farmed.

What Does It Look Like?

Trifolium barbigerum is an annual plant that can grow in different ways. It might spread out along the ground or stand upright. Its stems can be hairy or smooth.

The leaves are divided into smaller, oval-shaped parts called leaflets. Each leaflet can be up to 2.5 centimeters (about 1 inch) long. Sometimes, the tips of these leaflets have small notches. The plant also has large, varied stipules, which are small leaf-like structures at the base of the leaf stalks.

The flowers grow together in a round cluster, or head, up to 2.5 centimeters wide. This cluster sits inside a bowl-shaped structure made of special leaves called bracts. These bracts have jagged edges.

Each individual flower has a cup-like base called a calyx. This calyx is made of sepals that narrow into one or more stiff, hair-covered bristles. Inside the calyx is the colorful part of the flower, called the corolla. The corolla can be pinkish-purple, white, or a mix of purple and white.

This plant usually blooms from April to July.