Vermont State Flower
Red Clover (common name) Trifolium pratense (scientific name) Overview In 1894, when Vermonters decided to choose a state flower, most of the contenders were blossoms common in the state’s fields and meadows, such as daisies and buttercups. Clover won the day, though, not only because its small pink blooms have long been an integral part of the state’s landscape, but also because it’s a favored food of Vermont's economically important dairy cows and a nitrogen fixer important to the state’s many farms. The plant is also known as pavine clover or cow grass. Though red clover is a perennial, it’s not a long-lived plant, usually surviving only two or three years. Stems are hollow and branching with a cluster of three leaves at the end of each stem and fine, silvery hairs. The plant’s upper stems produce pink, round, or oval flowers. Each flower is actually a rounded cluster of 100–125 tiny five-petaled tubular flowers.  Plants go dormant in winter. Honeybees and bumblebees are fond of the flowers, and do most of the pollinating. Flowers give way to pods containing just one or two seeds. Plants spread through their roots as well as by seed. Both flowers and leaves are fragrant. Most people associate the flower’s scent with honey. Close-up STATUS Official PHYSICAL DETAILS Duration: Biennial, Perennial Plant: Hollow, branching stems, upright or growing along the ground Mature Height: 7.75–31 in (20–80 cm) Flowering: June through August Flowers: 1/2–1 in (1.2–2.5 cm) wide, .08–.6 in (.2–1.5 cm) long, many narrow petals in a rounded cone shape Flower Color: Deep lavender-pink Leaves: .6–1.2 in (1.5–3 cm) long and .3–.6 in (.8–1.5 cm) wide leaflets growing in threes Fruit/Seed Color: Brown, yellow, or purple HABITAT Location: Sunny, grassy areas with loamy or partly clay soil Range: Throughout the U.S. and Canada TRIVIA In addition to being good for cows and farms, clover is often believed to be good for people. It has historically been used to treat a wide range of symptoms of everything from asthma to menopause. Red clover is the national flower of Denmark as well as being Vermont’s state flower.
	Click to enlarge an image Red Clover Field of Red Clover Close-up of Red Clover CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Plantae Subkingdom: Tracheobionta Superdivision: Spermatophyta Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Subclass: Rosidae Order: Fabales Family: Fabaceae Subfamily: Faboideae Genus: Trifolium Species: T. pratense
	Author: World Trade Press