Clover, primarily species belonging to the genus Trifolium, is a group of legumes widely recognized for its common presence in lawns, pastures, and agricultural fields. These flowering plants are in fact a powerhouse of nutrition for numerous insect species. Clover is highly beneficial for bees, serving as an excellent forage source. This widespread plant plays a significant role in supporting pollinator health, and understanding its specific qualities and cultivation practices is key to maximizing its benefit.
Essential Resources Clover Provides for Bees
Clover is an exceptional food source for bees because it offers a dense concentration of both high-energy nectar and protein-rich pollen. The nectar produced within the small florets is notably high in sugars, providing the carbohydrates necessary to fuel the demanding flight and hive maintenance activities of foraging bees. This energy source is then converted into the familiar clover honey, which is a popular and globally recognized product.
Clover pollen is highly nutritious, supplying the proteins, fats, and micronutrients necessary for bee growth and development. This pollen is especially important for feeding the developing larvae within the hive, ensuring the colony can grow and remain healthy. Many clover species are also known for their continuous and extended bloom period throughout the growing season, offering a reliable food supply even during summer periods when other flowers may be scarce.
This prolonged availability makes clover a dependable forage crop, reducing the risk of a nutritional gap for local bee populations. Furthermore, the cluster of tiny clover flowers, known as a head, presents a highly efficient foraging target, allowing bees to collect significant resources quickly. The structure of the flower head ensures that, for many clover varieties, the nectar is easily accessible to common short-tongued bees, including the European honeybee.
Key Clover Varieties for Pollinators
White Clover (Trifolium repens)
White Clover is a low-growing perennial often found in lawns. It is a favorite among honeybees and short-tongued bumblebees due to its short corolla tubes. Its resilience to mowing and its prolific, long-lasting blooms make it a continuous and easily available food source throughout the summer.
Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
Red Clover is a taller biennial or short-lived perennial characterized by a deeper flower structure. The nectar in this variety is favored by long-tongued bees, such as certain species of bumblebees, which can reach the bottom of the corolla tube. While the depth can pose a challenge for honeybees, they can still utilize it, especially in times of abundant nectar flow.
Crimson Clover (Trifolium incarnatum)
Crimson Clover is an annual variety distinguished by its vibrant crimson flowers that bloom early in the season. This type is valued for providing a significant nectar source early in the spring, when floral resources can be limited for emerging bees. Its easily accessible nectar makes it attractive to honeybees, providing a boost to colonies preparing for the main foraging season.
Integrating and Maintaining Clover in Pollinator Habitats
Incorporating clover into a landscape requires careful management to maximize benefits while protecting foraging bees. When planting, prepare the soil by removing competing vegetation and sowing seeds in the spring or summer. Using a legume inoculant, which contains the specific bacteria needed for nitrogen fixation, helps the clover thrive and enhance its soil benefits.
Mowing practices must be adjusted to allow the clover to flower, as frequent or low cutting eliminates the food source. Increasing the mower height to five inches or more allows the low-growing white clover blooms to remain intact and available for foraging bees. Delaying mowing in the spring and reducing the overall frequency supports pollinator health.
The use of chemicals presents a significant threat to bees foraging on clover flowers. Herbicides, often used to eliminate clover from lawns, directly remove this food source. Pesticides can directly kill bees or impair their navigation and reproduction. Maintaining a clover patch requires avoiding the use of these chemicals entirely to create a safe foraging environment.
Clover also provides a powerful secondary benefit to the habitat through its ability to enrich the soil. As a legume, clover fixes atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form within the soil, a process that can contribute between 100 and 200 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare annually. This natural fertilization reduces the need for synthetic nitrogen inputs, creating a healthier and more sustainable environment that supports both the clover and the bees it feeds.