white sweet clover

(Melilotus albus)

Conservation Status
white sweet clover
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

NNA - No Status Rank

SNA - No Status Rank

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Weed Status
   
 

White sweet clover is listed as an invasive terrestrial plant by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. However, it is not currently regulated in Minnesota.

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

White sweet clover is a 1 to 8 tall, erect, freely branching, biennial forb with a strong taproot. The stems are light green and hairless. The taller plants tend to be bushy, the shorter plants lanky. In the first year they are small and do not flower. In the second year they are taller, bushy, and produce many flower clusters.

The compound leaves are alternate, hairless and divided into three leaflets.The leaflets are oblanceolate or obovate, ½ to 1 long and up to ¼ wide. They are grayish-green, finely toothed along the middle and upper margins, the teeth pointed outward rather than forward. The middle leaflet is on a distinct stalk.

The inflorescence is many tall, spike-like clusters of stalked flowers. The clusters are on elongated stems produced in the axils of the middle and upper leaves. The flowering stems are 2 to 6 long. Dozens of small flowers are crowded along the top two thirds of the stem.

The flowers are to long and are attached to the stem with a minute stalk. They droop down but ascend at the tip.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

1 to 8

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

White

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis) has yellow flowers. It is usually a little shorter than white sweet clover. The foliage is plain green, not grayish-green. It blooms 2 to 3 weeks earlier than white sweet clover.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Disturbed sites, roadsides.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

May to September

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

 

 
     
 
Use
 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

4, 5, 7, 22, 28, 29, 30.

 
  7/12/2023      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native to Asia, Europe, and the Indian subcontinent. Introduced and naturalized in North America.

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Superorder Rosanae  
 

Order

Fabales (legumes, milkworts, and allies)  
 

Family

Fabaceae (legumes)  
  Subfamily Faboideae  
  Tribe

Trifolieae

 
  Genus Melilotus (melilots and sweetclovers)  
       
 

Some sources, including BONAP and USDA PLANTS, consider white sweet clover (Melilotus alba) and yellow sweet clover (Melilotus officinalis) the same species with differently colored flowers. It that is the case, then white sweet clover should be treated as Melilotus officinalis ssp. alba. BONAP lists Melilotus officinalis but not Melilotus alba. It does not list subspecies or varieties of any plants. USDA PLANTS curiously lists just sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis), with no subspecies, and with Melilotus alba as a synonym. Most sources treat white and yellow sweet clovers as separate species.

 
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Melilotus alba

Melilotus leucanthus

Melilotus officinalis ssp. alba

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

bokhara-clover

honey clover

white melilot

white sweet clover

white sweet-clover

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Compound leaf

A leaf that is divided into leaflets, each leaflet having the general appearance of a leaf, with all leaflets attached to a single leaf stem.

 

Oblanceolate

Reverse lanceolate; much longer than wide, thickest toward the tip, and gradually tapering toward the base.

 

Obovate

Reverse egg-shaped, with the attachment at the narrower end.

 
 
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Inflorescence

 
    white sweet clover   white sweet clover  
           
    white sweet clover   white sweet clover  
           
    white sweet clover      
           
 

Flowers

 
    white sweet clover      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
  Sweet White Clover
Andree Reno Sanborn
 
  Sweet White Clover  
 
About

pea family

Melilotus alba

Farmers will plant this in rotation in their fields to replenish the nitrogen in the soil.

 
  Melilotus alba WHITE SWEET CLOVER
Frank Mayfield
 
  Melilotus alba WHITE SWEET CLOVER  

 

slideshow

       
 
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Other Videos
 
  White Sweet Clover
hiddengrousefarm
 
   
 
About

Published on Aug 19, 2012

White sweet clover ID and control

   
  White Sweet-Clover (Melilotus albus, Melilotus alba) ~ Introduced Species
Wandering Sole TV
 
   
 
About

Published on Jul 22, 2013

White Sweet-Clover (Melilotus albus, Melilotus alba) is native to Europe and was introduced to the North American Continent as a forage crop. It is a member of the pea (Fabaceae) family. Quoting Wikipedia: "It was introduced to North America in the 17th century for cattle forage purposes and is now widespread throughout Canada and the United States, where it has become invasive and can outcompete native plant species." A gangly plant, it can grow up to heights of 2m.

White Sweet-Clover also goes by the names of Bokhara clover, honey clover, tree clover, sweet clover, white-flowered sweet clover, and white melilot.

   
  Bokhara Clover (Melilotus Albus) / White Honey Flower - 2012-06-26
W3stlander
 
   
 
About

Published on Jun 27, 2012

Melilotus albus (Bokhara clover, honey clover, tree clover, sweet clover, white-flowered sweet clover, white sweet clover, white melilot)

------------------
De Witte honingklaver (Melilotus albus) is een plant uit de vlinderbloemenfamilie (Leguminosae).

   

 

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