Trifolium fragiferum
Strawberry clover
(c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Not Native
Trifolium fragiferum (Strawberry clover) is a non-native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by distinctive inflated fruiting calyx creates strawberry-like appearance.
Strawberry clover is a naturalized perennial herb found in the North Coast Ranges, Sacramento Valley, South Coast Ranges, southwestern California, Modoc Plateau, White and Inyo Mountains, and other regions in roadsides and saline soils at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces pink flowers in dense, woolly heads 8 to 12 millimeters wide that expand to nearly 2 centimeters when fruiting. Growing as a creeping and rooting or tufted herb with glabrous stems, it spreads low to the ground. Its leaves have three leaflets 0.5 to 2 centimeters long, ranging from elliptic to obovate, with overlapping stipules and petioles much longer than the leaf blades. The distinctive fruiting heads become spherical and reddish-brown, with the calyx becoming inflated and hairy, creating a woolly appearance characteristic of this clover.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 56 sympatric species; distinctive inflated fruiting calyx creates strawberry-like appearance
Habitat and range
Habitat: Roadsides, generally in saline soil
Elevation: < 1500 m
California counties: Sonoma, Los Angeles, Inyo, San Diego, Yolo, Plumas, Stanislaus, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Riverside, Modoc, Humboldt, Sacramento, Ventura, Contra Costa, San Bernardino, Solano, Santa Barbara, Colusa, Orange, El Dorado, Nevada, Marin, San Joaquin, Yuba, Butte, Sutter, Tehama, Glenn, Shasta, Siskiyou, Napa, Kern, Mendocino, San Mateo, Merced, Trinity, Amador, Madera, Alameda, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Lassen
Outside California: sporadic in much of United States, native to Europe, Africa
Bloom period
Trifolium fragiferum 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 fragiferum native to California?
No. Trifolium fragiferum is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Trifolium fragiferum bloom?
Trifolium fragiferum blooms May-Aug.
Where in California does Trifolium fragiferum grow?
Trifolium fragiferum occurs in Sonoma, Los Angeles, Inyo, San Diego, Yolo, Plumas, Stanislaus, San Luis Obispo and other counties, at elevations of < 1500 m.
What plant family does Trifolium fragiferum belong to?
Trifolium fragiferum is in the Fabaceae family, genus Trifolium.
What habitat does Trifolium fragiferum grow in?
Trifolium fragiferum grows in Roadsides, generally in saline soil.
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.