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ARROWLEAF CLOVER¹²
Trifolium vesiculosum Savi, family Leguminosae

Arrowleaf clover is a winter annual clover adapted to well-drained soils in most areas of coastal Georgia to Mississippi where it is grown on a limited scale.

Plant:

Arrowleaf clover may grow 20 to 28 inches tall with stems to 40 inches long. Although it is later in maturity and produces less during the winter and early spring, it exceeds crimson clover in annual forage yield. There are several cultivars including 'Amclo' (Beaty et al. 1963), 'Yuchi' (Hoveland 1967), and 'Meechee' (Knight et al. 1969). The 'Yuchi' cv. is productive for 2 months longer in the spring than crimson clover, tolerant to drought, and resistant to the alfalfa weevil and the cloverhead weevil (Hoveland et al. 1969). It is not adapted to alkaline soils.

Inflorescence:

The white flower head, which turns to pink and then purple, is conical, 2 inches or more long by 1 l/4 inches across, and consists of 50 to 170 florets. Each floret is capable of producing two to three seeds. The 'Yuchi' cv. flowers from May to July (Hoveland et al. 1969). Seed yields of 100 to 500 lb/acre have been reported.

Pollination Requirements:

Hoveland et al. (1969) stated that bees are essential for pollinating arrowleaf clover.

Pollinators:

Apparently, honey bees are good pollinators of arrowleaf clover, just as they are for many other clovers.

Pollination Recommendations:

According to Hoveland et al. (1969), one colony of honey bees is recommended per acre, but no data are given to support this recommendation.

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¹² See "Clovers, General," p. 158.

LITERATURE CITED:

BEATY, E. R., POWELL, J. D., and YOUNG, W. C.
1963. AMCLO ARROWLEAF CLOVER. Crop Sci. 5: 284.

HOVELAND, C. S.
1967. REGISTRATION OF YUCHI ARROWLEAF CL0VER. Crop Sci. 7: 80.

____ GARDEN, E. L., BUCHANAN, G. A., and others.
1969. YUCHT ARROWLEAF CLOVER. Ala. Agr. Expt. Sta. Bul. 396,27 pp.

KNIGHT, W. E., ALDRICH V. E., and BYRD, M.
1969. REGISTRATION OF MEECHEE ARROWLEAF CLOVER Crop Sci. 9: 393.

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