Trifolium lemmonii
Lemmon's clover
(c) Garth Harwood, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 4.2
Trifolium lemmonii (Lemmon's clover) is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family, recognized by 3-7 leaflets and cushion-forming habit in montane areas.
Lemmon's clover is a native perennial herb found in northern Sierra Nevada Mountains in pine forests and sagebrush flats at elevations of 1,500 to 1,800 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces delicate pink-white flowers in compact, spherical umbels 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters wide. Growing in dense tufted clusters with strigose stems, it forms a low-spreading perennial herb. Its distinctive leaves have 3 to 7 thick, obovate leaflets 1 to 2 centimeters long with coarse serrated edges, featuring larger teeth approximately 0.4 to 0.5 millimeters wide. The flower's calyx is slender with bristle-like lobes, and its peduncle is characteristically bent or curved.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 31 sympatric species; 3-7 leaflets and cushion-forming habit in montane areas
Habitat and range
Habitat: Pine forest, sagebrush flats
Elevation: 1500-1800 m
California counties: Plumas, Sierra, Nevada, Placer
Outside California: Nevada
Bloom period
Trifolium lemmonii blooms May-Jul.
Conservation status
CNPS 4.2
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 lemmonii native to California?
Yes. Trifolium lemmonii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Trifolium lemmonii bloom?
Trifolium lemmonii blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Trifolium lemmonii grow?
Trifolium lemmonii occurs in Plumas, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, at elevations of 1500-1800 m.
What plant family does Trifolium lemmonii belong to?
Trifolium lemmonii is in the Fabaceae family, genus Trifolium.
Is Trifolium lemmonii rare or endangered?
Trifolium lemmonii carries California Rare Plant Rank 4.2, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
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.