Trifolium eriocephalum subsp. eriocephalum

Hairy head clover, Hairy Head Clover

Family: Fabaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Hairy head clover is a California native perennial found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, and northern Sierra Nevada in moist meadows to dry, open slopes at elevations of 300 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces dull white to yellow flowers in dense, distinctive heads 1.5 to 3 centimeters long that typically lean to one side or droop downward. Growing with ascending or erect stems 15 to 45 centimeters tall, it develops hairy stems that are generally unbranched. Its leaves feature 3 leaflets 1 to 4 centimeters long, ranging from elliptic-oblong to ovate, with lower stipules sheathing the stem and upper stipules becoming lanceolate. The fruit is hairy, typically containing 1 to 3 seeds.

Habitat: Locally common. Moist meadows to dry, open slopes

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: 300-1500 m

Bioregions: NW, CaR, n SN

California counties: Humboldt, Siskiyou, Trinity, Mendocino, Shasta

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.