Trifolium variegatum
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Fabaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Trifolium variegatum is a native California herb in the Fabaceae family.
Trifolium variegatum is a California native perennial herb found in open moist fields, wet forest meadows, and roadsides from coastal to mountain regions at elevations of 0 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces lavender to purple flowers with white tips in dense head-like clusters 0.5 to 2.5 centimeters wide. Growing with prostrate to erect wiry stems that are generally smooth, it can form low-spreading or more upright growth habits. Its leaves have three leaflets typically obovate or wedge-shaped, with lower stipules remaining entire while upper stipules become deeply cut. The flower's bell-shaped calyx ranges from 3 to 10 millimeters long, with distinctive veined tube and bristle-tipped lobes that add texture to its delicate inflorescence.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 0 sympatric species - geographically isolated
Habitat and range
Habitat: Open generally moist fields, wet forest meadows, roadsides
Elevation: 0-2500 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, Kern, Tuolumne, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, Los Angeles, Inyo, Orange, Merced, Mono, Mariposa, Madera, Fresno, Nevada, Tulare, Placer, Santa Clara, El Dorado, Plumas, Siskiyou, Trinity, Shasta, San Mateo, Yuba, Butte, Marin, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Sacramento, Calaveras, Modoc, Sonoma, Lake, Colusa, Glenn, Tehama, Mendocino, Napa, Lassen, Contra Costa, Stanislaus, Humboldt, Alameda, Santa Cruz, Amador, San Joaquin, Del Norte, Kings, Sutter, Solano, Sierra, Yolo, San Benito
Outside California: sporadic to British Columbia, Montana, Colorado, Arizona, Baja California
Bloom period
Trifolium variegatum blooms Apr-Jul.
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 variegatum native to California?
Yes. Trifolium variegatum is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Trifolium variegatum bloom?
Trifolium variegatum blooms Apr-Jul.
Where in California does Trifolium variegatum grow?
Trifolium variegatum occurs in San Luis Obispo, Kern, Tuolumne, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, Los Angeles and other counties, at elevations of 0-2500 m.
What plant family does Trifolium variegatum belong to?
Trifolium variegatum is in the Fabaceae family, genus Trifolium.
What habitat does Trifolium variegatum grow in?
Trifolium variegatum grows in Open generally moist fields, wet forest meadows, roadsides.
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.