Trifolium fucatum
Bull clover
(c) Steve Matson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Trifolium fucatum (Bull clover) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by large flowers and inflated banner in fruit.
Bull clover is a California native annual herb found in coastal and interior regions including Northern Coast, Northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Central Valley, San Francisco Bay Area, Southern California Coast, and Channel Islands in moist grasslands, marshes, and roadsides at elevations below 1,100 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces dull white or pale yellow flowers with purple-tipped petals in dense, rounded heads. Growing with decumbent to erect stems 15 to 40 centimeters tall that are generally hollow and simple to branched, it has a robust, nearly smooth appearance. Its leaves have three leaflets 1 to 2.5 centimeters long, elliptic to nearly round, with slightly toothed edges and wide, somewhat translucent stipules. The fruit develops 2 to 4 seeds with a distinctive net-like seed coat, with each fruit measuring 5 to 10 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 56 sympatric species; large flowers and inflated banner in fruit are diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Locally abundant. Moist, open grassland, marshes, roadsides, occasionally saline or serpentine soils
Elevation: < 1100 m
California counties: Trinity, Humboldt, Mendocino, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Alameda, Los Angeles, Orange, Yolo, Sonoma, Shasta, Solano, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Amador, San Luis Obispo, Colusa, Sacramento, Monterey, Marin, Glenn, San Francisco, Lake, Napa, San Mateo, Butte, Tehama, Contra Costa, San Benito, San Bernardino, Merced, Fresno, San Joaquin, Riverside, Sutter, San Diego
Outside California: Oregon
Bloom period
Trifolium fucatum blooms Apr-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 fucatum native to California?
Yes. Trifolium fucatum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Trifolium fucatum bloom?
Trifolium fucatum blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Trifolium fucatum grow?
Trifolium fucatum occurs in Trinity, Humboldt, Mendocino, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Alameda, Los Angeles, Orange and other counties, at elevations of < 1100 m.
What plant family does Trifolium fucatum belong to?
Trifolium fucatum is in the Fabaceae family, genus Trifolium.
What habitat does Trifolium fucatum grow in?
Trifolium fucatum grows in Locally abundant. Moist, open grassland, marshes, roadsides, occasionally saline or serpentine soils.
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.