Melilotus officinalis (L.) Lam.

White sweet clover, yellow sweet clover, sweet clover

About plant names...

Those botanists. Always changing the rules. Sweet clover, so-called for its sweet, haylike scent, used to come in several varieties, notably white (Melilotus alba) and yellow (M. officinalis). Now they are considered one and the same, at least according to the USDA Plants Database, which we use as the standard for herbaceous plant names. It isn't the botanists' fault though. Naming plants in a way that reflects their relationships to each other is a complex and subtle business. Sweet clovers are European and Asian natives, introduced and now widespread in North America.

Identification: Plants are 24-84" (60-213 cm) tall, often branched, bushy or gangly in appearance. Stems are fairly straight but not necessarily erect; sometimes they sprawl along the ground or over other plants. They are hairless. Leaves are alternate, occurring in clover-like clusters of three. Leaflets are ¾" (1.9 cm) × ¼" (6.3 mm), oval, with slightly toothed edges. Long, curving spikes contain tiny, pea-like flowers that are yellow or white. Each flower is ⅛-³/₁₆" (4-6 mm) long. The flower spikes are probably the most obvious identifying feature. Flowering occurs from June to September. Fruits are oval-shaped, ¹/₁₆-⅛" (3-4 mm) long, with raised veins.

Edibility: Fresh young leaves, shoots, and seedpods can be eaten raw. However, sweet clovers contain coumarin. While coumarin is responsible for their appealing smell, if the plants develop mold, coumarin is converted to dicoumarol, a blood thinner that is poisonous in significant amounts. Moldy or dried leaves may be toxic ! (If you know someone taking Coumadin, a drug used in carefully controlled amounts to prevent clotting of the blood, it is derived from dicoumarol.)

Medical: Sweet clover has been used to treat a wide range of ailments, and there is some evidence that at least some of these treatments, such as for varicose veins, convey real benefits. However, given the blood-thinning effects of improperly harvested or prepared plants, we don't recommend its use. See this Plants for a Future article, or this one on medicinenet.com, for further information.

Online References:

Missouriplants.com (Melilotus officinalis)

Missouriplants.com (Melilotus alba)

Wildflowers, Ferns & Trees of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah

Illinois Wildflowers (Melilotus officinalis)

Illinois Wildflowers (Melilotus alba)

Montana Plant Life (Melilotus officinalis)

Southeastern Arizona Wildflowers and the Plants of the Sonoran Desert (Melilotus officinalis)

8/1/2009 · Gordon & Kathy’s, Prospect, Maine
≈ 9 × 13" (22 × 33 cm)

9/3/2020 · Mitchell Field, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 4 × 4" (11 × 11 cm)

6/13/2016 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts

7/3/2023 · Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Penn­syl­vania

This flowers even when routinely mowed. · 9/3/2020 · Mitchell Field, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 4 × 4½" (11 × 11 cm)

7/27/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4½ × 4" (11 × 10 cm)

6/16/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4½ × 6" (11 × 14 cm)

7/17/2017 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4 × 5" (11 × 13 cm)

7/17/2009 · Mt. Lebanon St, Trail, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 9 × 14" (23 × 34 cm)

6/13/2016 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts

7/19/2017 · Monongahela National Forest, Monongahela, West Vir­ginia
≈ 4½ × 6" (12 × 16 cm)

7/31/2016 · Skyline Drive, Shenandoah Nation, Virginia

5/22/2009 · Oak Creek Vista, Ari­zona
≈ 11 × 17" (28 × 43 cm)

Melilotus officinalis description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 5 Sep 2023.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.

6/13/2016 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts

7/20/2021 · Otter Brook, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 6 × 4" (15 × 10 cm)

8/26/2014 · El Malpais Information Center, National Parks Service, El Malpais, New Mex­ico
≈ 6 × 8" (16 × 19 cm)

7/20/2021 · Otter Brook, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 6 × 3½" (14 × 9.4 cm)

7/31/2016 · Skyline Drive, Shenandoah Nation, Virginia

7/17/2017 · Oak Hill, Littleton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4 × 6" (10 × 14 cm)

6/5/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4½ × 6" (11 × 14 cm)

7/31/2023 · Otter Brook Preserve, Harpswell, Maine

9/18/2016 · Deer Isle Beach Vegetation Recla

6/5/2013 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4½ × 6" (11 × 15 cm)

6/16/2010 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 1¾ × 1¾" (4.8 × 4.9 cm)

7/20/2021 · Otter Brook, Harpswell, Maine
≈ 5 × 3½" (13 × 9 cm)

8/26/2014 · El Malpais Information Center, National Parks Service, El Malpais, New Mex­ico
≈ 10 × 7" (25 × 16 cm)

7/19/2017 · Penn­syl­vania
≈ 4 × 6" (11 × 16 cm)

7/28/2013 · Andres Institute of Art, Big Bear Mountain, Brookline, New Hamp­shire
≈ 4½ × 3" (12 × 8.5 cm)

8/26/2014 · El Malpais Information Center, National Parks Service, El Malpais, New Mex­ico
≈ 9 × 6" (22 × 15 cm)

8/6/2009 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 4 × 6" (10 × 15 cm)

7/17/2009 · Mt. Lebanon St, Trail, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts
≈ 6 × 8" (14 × 21 cm)

Range:

About this map...