(Trifolium fragiferum ‘Strawberry Palestine’)
Strawberry Palestine Clover is a cool weather perennial ground cover that is native to Eurasia but can be found growing in the Midwest and northeastern United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 8-14” and features compound and alternate leaves with attractive teeth edgings, and symmetrical aromatic flower heads that bare resupinate peduncles ranging from 3/4" to nearly 2" long. This plant can be grown in a container, attracts bees and butterflies, is drought and light frost tolerant, and provides forage to livestock!
Genus: Trifolium
Species: fragiferum
Variety: Strawberry Palenstine
Ease of Growing: Easy
Native Range: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Altay, Austria, Baleares, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canary Is., Central European Rus, Corse, Cyprus, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, East Aegean Is., East European Russia, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Kriti, Krym, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Morocco, Netherlands, North Caucasus, North European Russi, Northwest European R, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sardegna, Saudi Arabia, Sicilia, South European Russi, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tadzhikistan, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkey-in-Europe, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, West Himalaya, West Siberia, Xinjiang, Yemen, Yugoslavia.
Introduced into: Argentina Northeast, Argentina South, Bolivia, Chatham Is., Chile South, Colorado, Illinois, Japan, New Mexico, New South Wales, New York, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Queensland, South Australia, Tristan da Cunha, Uruguay, Vermont, Victoria, Western Australia.
Grown as: Perennial
Maturity (Bloom): Summer
Hardiness: In the US, clover is hardy to Zone 6. Established plantings made in early fall can tolerate temperatures to 0°F or slightly colder.
Crops: Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions: Cold. These cover crops generally require cooler temperatures and adequate water.
Outdoor Growing Temp: 40°F - 85°F
Min Outdoor Soil Temp: 30°F. Most cool weather cover crop should be started when temperatures are still in the 60's to allow the plants to establish before winter, which also prevents Winterkill.
Start Indoors: No
Start Outdoors: Yes
Containers: No
Small Gardens: No
Light: Sun: min. 6 hours daily (Cold, Cool). Cover crops need full sun when growing in winter, as days are shorter and the sun is lower in the sky. If grown in summer many will tolerate light shade (though they grow best in full sun).
Water: Most of these crops are not particularly drought tolerant and will need regular watering in dry climates (especially when germinating and getting established). However they are mostly grown during the winter when the soil is fairly moist, so don't usually require much irrigation.
Feeder: Light. You do not need to fertilize cover crop in established gardens, as there will be plenty of nutrients in the garden to meet their needs. Since you will be incorporating them back in to the soil, growing them doesn't remove any nutrients from the soil. The leguminous cover crops also fix nitrogen and eventually add it to the soil.
Attracts beneficial insects?: Yes. Bees and Earthworms love it and is also a protein-rich forage crop for cattle and livestock
Containers: Yes. suitable for 5 gallon containers and up.
Height: 9-12"
Spacing: 12-15"
Sow Depth: Below soil surface.
Produces: compound and alternate leaves with attractive teeth edgings, and symmetrical aromatic flower heads that bare resupinate peduncles ranging from 3/4" to nearly 2" long.
USDA Grow Zone: 3-12
Suggested Varieties
(Centaurea cyanus ‘Dwarf Blue’)
Dwarf Blue Cornflower is an annual flower that is native to Europe that can be found growing in open fields and along railroads from coast to coast of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 1-3' and features grayish green, blade-like foliage and long stems topped by a 1” circlet of tiny lavender blue flowers with a darker center. This plant attracts bees and butterflies, provides bird forage, tolerates drought and frost, makes dye, self sows, and is great as a cut flower!
(Centaurea cyanus ‘Tall Blue’)
Tall Blue Cornflower is an annual flower that is native to Europe that can be found growing in open fields and along railroads from coast to coast of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 1-3' and features grayish green, blade-like foliage and long stems topped by a 1” circlet of tiny lavender blue flowers with a darker center. This plant attracts bees and butterflies, provides bird forage, tolerates drought and frost, makes dye, self sows, and is great as a cut flower!
(Centaurea cyanus ‘Tall Pink’)
Only a few left!
Tall Pink Cornflower is an annual flower that is native to Europe that can be found growing in open fields and along railroads from coast to coast of the United States. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 1-3' and features grayish green, blade-like foliage and long stems topped by a 1-1½” circlet of tiny pale pink flowers with a darker pink center. This plant attracts bees and butterflies, provides bird forage, tolerates drought and frost, makes dye, self sows, and is great as a cut flower!
(Brassica oleracea 'Calabrese Green Sprouting')
Calabrese Green Sprouting Broccoli is an Italian heirloom, hardy, cool weather annual vegetable that is native to the Mediterranean region, but brought to America by the D'Arrigo brothers between 1904-11, and first offered to the public in 1923. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 30-36” and features erect stalks, 6” bluish-green centered floret, multiple side shoots, and yellow flowers. This plant can be grown in a container, is rabbit safe, tolerates light frost, and is edible.
(Brassica oleracea 'Purple Sprouting')
Purple Sprouting Broccoli is an Italian heirloom, hardy, cool weather annual vegetable that is native to the Mediterranean region, but was introduced to the United States not long after they were listed in the French Vilmorin-Andrieux seed catalog in 1885. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 18-36” and features thin stem, side shoots of loose clusters of 3-5” purple florets, and bladed leaves. This plant can be grown in a container, is rabbit safe, tolerates frost, and is edible.
(Brassica oleracea 'Waltham 29')
Waltham 29 Broccoli is a heirloom, hardy, cool weather annual vegetable that is native to Waltham, MA., where it was developed by the University of Massachusetts in 1950. At maturity, this plant reaches the height of 18-24” and features a 4-6” blue-green central broccoli head, and side shoots that bare 1” florets. This plant can be grown in a container, is rabbit safe, tolerates frost, and is edible.