Sweet clover — White

Melilotus albus

Tall biennial legume with intensely fragrant white flower spikes. A major honey plant and one of the deepest-rooted dynamic accumulators of any cover crop.

Hardiness ratings

Sweet clover — White hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 3–9 −40 °C to −1.1 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H7 down to −20 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 3–9 −34 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 1–5 −15 °C to 10 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Improperly cured hay can ferment to produce dicoumarol — an anticoagulant that causes "sweet clover disease" in cattle. Cure properly before feeding to livestock.
  • One of the most important honey plants in continental North America
  • Deep taproot (up to 1.5 m) breaks compacted subsoil
  • Always consult a qualified medical or herbal practitioner before using any plant medicinally

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Sweet clover — White against your zones

Reference

Sweet clover — White on Wikipedia