Trifolium breweri
Brewer's clover
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Trifolium breweri (Brewer's clover) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by perennial habit and stalked flowers diagnostic.
Brewer's clover is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern California Ranges, and northern Sierra Nevada in dry forest, open areas, and roadsides at elevations of 200 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces yellow-white to pink-lavender flowers in compact umbel-like clusters 1 to 2 centimeters wide with 5 to 15 flowers. Growing with decumbent to ascending stems that are softly hairy, it reaches moderate heights with delicate branching. Its leaves have 5 to 20 millimeter leaflets that are generally obovate, slightly entire to serrate, with stipules that sheath or spread lance-like along the stem. The delicate flowers emerge from the corolla with seeds that typically extend beyond the flower's initial structure.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 39 sympatric species; perennial habit and stalked flowers diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry forest, open areas, roadsides
Elevation: 200-1800 m
California counties: Tuolumne, Del Norte, Plumas, Madera, Trinity, Butte, El Dorado, Siskiyou, Yuba, Tehama, Mariposa, Calaveras, Sierra, Shasta, Fresno, Lassen, Humboldt, Sonoma, Napa
Outside California: Oregon
Bloom period
Trifolium breweri blooms May-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Medicago: Trifolium flowers persist around fruits; Medicago flowers fall off leaving exposed coiled fruits.; vs Oxalis: Trifolium has pea-shaped flowers; wood-sorrels (Oxalis) have 5-petaled star-shaped flowers and heart-notched leaflets.; vs Melilotus: Trifolium flowers persist enclosing fruits; Melilotus flowers fall off leaving exposed ridged pods.; vs Castilleja: Trifolium has pea flowers and 3 toothed leaflets; paintbrush (Castilleja) has tubular flowers in colorful bracts.; vs Acmispon: Trifolium leaflets have toothed edges; Acmispon leaflets have smooth untoothed margins.
Frequently asked questions
Is Trifolium breweri native to California?
Yes. Trifolium breweri is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Trifolium breweri bloom?
Trifolium breweri blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Trifolium breweri grow?
Trifolium breweri occurs in Tuolumne, Del Norte, Plumas, Madera, Trinity, Butte, El Dorado, Siskiyou and other counties, at elevations of 200-1800 m.
What plant family does Trifolium breweri belong to?
Trifolium breweri is in the Fabaceae family, genus Trifolium.
What habitat does Trifolium breweri grow in?
Trifolium breweri grows in dry forest, open areas, roadsides.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.