Trifolium ciliolatum
Foothill clover
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Steve Matson · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Trifolium ciliolatum (Foothill clover) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by ciliate calyx lobes and erect habit diagnostic.
Foothill clover is a California native annual found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, central western California, southwestern California, and Modoc Plateau (excluding Warner Mountains) in grassland, chaparral, and disturbed areas at elevations of 150 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces pink to purple flowers in dense, spherical heads 7 to 20 millimeters wide with bristle-tipped upper stipules. Growing with erect stems that have long internodes and are nearly hairless, it develops an upright, somewhat open form. Its leaves have three leaflets 1 to 3 centimeters long, which are oblanceolate to obovate with serrated edges. The flowers have unequal calyx lobes with short, flat bristles and soon become reflexed after blooming.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 70 sympatric species; ciliate calyx lobes and erect habit diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Locally common. Grassland, chaparral, disturbed areas
Elevation: 150-1700 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Los Angeles, Kern, Contra Costa, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Butte, Fresno, El Dorado, Stanislaus, Monterey, Madera, Glenn, San Mateo, Mendocino, Napa, Sacramento, Santa Clara, Merced, Ventura, Lake, Alameda, Tehama, Mariposa, Solano, Marin, Tuolumne, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Yuba, Amador, Placer, Yolo, Calaveras, Nevada, Sutter, Shasta, Colusa, Sierra, Humboldt, San Joaquin, San Benito, Trinity
Outside California: to Washington, Baja California
Bloom period
Trifolium ciliolatum blooms Mar-Jun.
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 ciliolatum native to California?
Yes. Trifolium ciliolatum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Trifolium ciliolatum bloom?
Trifolium ciliolatum blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Trifolium ciliolatum grow?
Trifolium ciliolatum occurs in San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Los Angeles, Kern, Contra Costa, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and other counties, at elevations of 150-1700 m.
What plant family does Trifolium ciliolatum belong to?
Trifolium ciliolatum is in the Fabaceae family, genus Trifolium.
What habitat does Trifolium ciliolatum grow in?
Trifolium ciliolatum grows in Locally common. Grassland, chaparral, disturbed areas.
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.