There are a lot of clover plants in lawns and fields. There are three distinct leaflets on this plant, and people like it because it can fix nitrogen in the soil. But there are some weeds that look a lot like clover and are easy to mistake for it. To get rid of weeds and keep your lawn healthy, you need to learn how to spot these clover-like plants.
Why Proper Identification Matters
It’s easy to mistake a weed for clover because clover is usually thought to be good for you. But letting real clover lookalikes grow unchecked can cause them to take over and make grass less desirable. These fake clovers don’t help the soil like clover does, and some of them can even be harmful to kids or pets if they eat them. If you can tell clover from other three-leafed plants, you can take the right steps to reduce their numbers.
Top Clover Mimics
There are many common weeds that look a lot like clover. Here are the major clover lookalikes you’re likely to encounter:
Oxalis
Oxalis also called woodsorrel is the plant most often mistaken for clover. It has three heart-shaped leaflets on long stems and blooms with small, yellow, five-petaled flowers. Oxalis spreads rapidly from bulbs underground, making it hard to control.
Black Medic
Black medic starts off looking nearly identical to clover but then produces oval-shaped leaflets with serrated edges on mature plants. It also has clusters of tiny yellow flowers. This annual weed indicates low nitrogen levels in soil.
Hop Clover
The hop clover plant blooms in the summer and has three leaflets that look like clover leaves. It can be recognized by the groups of yellow flowers that grow in the spaces between the leaves.
Japanese Clover
Despite its name, Japanese clover is not a true clover but is oblong-leaved with pink to purple blooms. It’s a low-growing weed that invades thin, stressed lawns.
Alsike Clover
Alsike clover has three leaflets and white to pale pink flowers. A member of the clover family, it’s considered a weed due to potential toxicity.
White Clover
Though often grouped with weeds, white clover is actually the same Trifolium genus as red and crimson clover. It’s distinguished by its creeping white flowers but shares many benefits with other clovers.
Prevention and Control
The best way to avoid clover lookalikes is to maintain a thick, healthy lawn through proper mowing, fertilizing, watering, and soil conditioning. Also inspect for weeds routinely and hand pull or spot treat when populations are small.
For heavy infestations, applying a selective herbicide containing ingredients like 2,4-D, MCPP, dicamba, or triclopyr can help control oxalis, medic, hop clover and other broadleaf weeds while leaving grass unharmed. Always follow label directions carefully.
Non-chemical controls like mulching or smothering weeds with cardboard may also be effective, especially in landscape beds. Be persistent, as most clover mimics are difficult to fully eliminate once established.
Key Identification Features
When trying to distinguish clover from lookalikes, check these key characteristics:
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Leaf shape – Clover has oval leaflets while oxalis has heart-shaped leaves. Check for serrated edges which indicate a medic plant.
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Flowers – Clover has round clusters of flowers while oxalis and hop clover have 5-petaled, yellow flowers. Alsike clover has white flowers.
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Leaf arrangement – Does each leaflet have its own individual stem (petiole) like clover? Or do all three leaflets attach to one main stem? Lookalikes often have the latter.
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Growth habit – How does it grow: upright, low to the ground, spreading? Note creeping stems or growth from bulbs which indicates oxalis.
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Preferred conditions – Clover mimics tend to thrive in stressed lawns and landscapes. Take note of the surrounding environment.
When in Doubt, Scout It Out
If an unknown weed shows up, monitor its growth and characteristics before acting. Clover’s doppelgangers can look nearly identical at first but will reveal their differences over time. Proper ID is key to removing imposters while keeping beneficial clover. When in doubt, scout it out!
Conditions that favor growth
Yellow woodsorrel thrives in moist fertile soils but grows under a wide range of conditions.
Maintain healthy, dense turf that can compete and prevent weed establishment.
Hand pulling or using an appropriate weeding tool are the primary means of mechanical weed control in lawns. This is a viable option at the beginning of an infestation and on young weeds. Hand pulling when the soil is moist makes the task easier.
Weed Identification – Identify 21 Common Weeds in Lawn
FAQ
What type of weed looks like clover?
Oxalis, also known as wood sorrel, is a perennial weed that is often mistaken for clover. It is easily distinguished from clover by the 3 heart-shaped leaflets found on top of each long stalk (or petiole) and 5-petaled yellow flowers that bloom from spring through summer.
How do you kill creeping oxalis in your lawn?
What’s the best way to kill Oxalis in a garden? Reapply every 10-14 days if regrowth occurs.
Why is oxalis a problem?
Oxalis is a weed that is very easy to spread and can be a real pain in the garden and on the lawn. It is often mistaken for clover, whose leaves are more rounded, whereas oxalis has green, heart-shaped leaves.
What is the plant that resembles clover?
It’s Creeping woodsorrel (Oxalis corniculata), a ground-hugging native with distinct clover-like leaves and sunny yellow flowers. It may bloom any time of the year, but it flowers and fruits most in spring. The flowers attract bees, flies and small butterflies.
What weeds look like lawn Clover?
Common lawn weeds that look like lawn clover are Alsike Clover (Trifolium hybridum), Wood Sorrel (Oxalis), Japanese Clover (Lespedeza), Black Medic (Medicago lupulina). Though some of these plants look a lot like shamrocks and even come from the same family, they are all weeds that don’t belong in our healthy lawn.
What weeds can be mistaken for Clover?
Here are 10 of the most common weeds that can be mistaken for clover: 1. Oxalis Oxalis, also known as wood sorrel, is likely the weed most often confused with clover It has 3 heart-shaped leaflets on the end of each long stalk and small, 5-petaled yellow flowers that bloom spring through summer.
How do you know if clover is a weed?
Especially mature plants in your lawn that are in high traffic areas or have been mowed several times. One of the easiest ways to tell clover from similar looking weeds like Oxalis is by looking for a whitish crescent in the center of the leaves. Controlling clover is difficult and if possible you should dig them out of landscape beds.
Why does my lawn look like a clover weed?
The most common condition that leads to this clover look-alike is compaction. Something like driving a car over the lawn may compact parts of the soil enough that the black medic might appear. Usually, aeration and amending the compacted area with organic material should be enough to eliminate the weed.
Is white clover a weed?
While many consider white clover to be a weed, it is actually in the same plant family as red and crimson clovers. White clover has 3 oval leaflets and white flowers. It spreads aggressively through lawns. Apply an iron-based herbicide to selectively kill white clover mixed among desirable grass. 3. Creeping Charlie
Are there different types of Clover weeds?
There are primarily two types of clover weeds in lawns: Mixed grass-clover and pure. Due to their durability, mixed grass-clover lawns suit high-traffic areas like playing fields. In contrast, pure clover lawns are ideal for low to medium-traffic areas. How many varieties of clover are there?