b'to replace traditional grass lawns in our area, especiallywithstand more shade than white clover.following the heat and drought conditions of 2021.Crimson clover is an annual with bright flowers that A variation of white clover is microclover, which hascan be seeded in fall for spring show and possible natural smaller leaves and fewer blooms. However, it is a lot morereseeding, explains Brilman. And Alsike clover tolerates tolerant to foot traffic and mowing, and is a great optionacid soils and cold conditions, but does not spread and for homeowners with children and pets. is short lived. These can be additions to your clover or She adds that demand has been increasing over theclover-grass lawn.past five years with microclover, seed, in particular,Honeybees love white and strawberry clover, as do becoming a top seller. many native bees and bumblebees. However, red clover is There has also been a lot of interest in wildflowerbetter suited to long-tongue bumblebees and, after dark, and insect habitat. In addition to perennial Dutch andmany moths visit it. Butterflies use clovers for food and microclover, we are seeing some yards incorporate colouralso some have larvae that utilize clovers. Both native and with red and crimson clover. Clover will thrive in a vari- introduced pollinators utilize clovers.ety of climates.From a personal standpoint, Dale says last year sheSustainable Lawn Choicesseeded an insect-friendly wildflower mix in front ofClover lawns are a great choice, especially due to their her house, and a monoculture of Dutch white clover insustainability. Not only do they not require the addition the back yard with the intent of growing insect habitatof nitrogen fertilizer, they require less mowing and can be around the edge of the yard.more drought tolerant than many older lawns, and also The clover has really held up well with active dogshave reduced herbicide needs. and we are seeing quite a variety of insects in the yard.Clover fixes nitrogen naturally and can reduce the We mow twice or three times a month with a reel moweramount of synthetic nitrogen applied to lawns, says and have not needed to water after the clover was estab- Carignan. In Maryland, nitrogen pollution is a problem lished. in the Chesapeake Bay, and our Maryland Lawn Fertilizer Many people find the appeal of microclover, because itLaw limits the amount of nitrogen that can be applied to blends in with turfgrass, says Christa K. Carignan, coor- lawns.dinator, Digital Horticulture Education, at the UniversityShe adds that clover flowers provide a source of food of Maryland Extension Home and Garden Informationfor (some) pollinating insects. However, insect popula-Center in Ellicott City, Maryland. tions and insect diversity are in dramatic decline due to These micro-varieties also have a less aggressivehabitat loss. clump-forming habit compared to Dutch white clover,Pollinators are essential for food and seed produc-she says. tion. Traditional lawns do not provide much in the way of She references a University of Maryland Departmenthabitat or food for beneficial insects, compared to gar-of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture researchdens with greater plant diversity and structural diversity paper where turfgrass specialists Thomas Turner and(groundcovers, shrubs, trees) and native plants to support Mark Carroll recommend late summer to early fallinnative bees.the mid-Atlantic regionas the preferred time to seed aClover can also be combined with turfgrasses for wear turf-type tall fescue, microclover, lawn. tolerance and stand diversity. This allows the benefits of And, while successful seeding may be done in theclover combined with more traditional grasses. spring, the risk of poor stand increases substantially dueBrilman says the combination of turfgrass and clover to weather-related problems such as heat and drought,enables the turfgrass to survive without additional fertili-and from competition from both broadleaf weeds andzation.annual grasses, such as crabgrass. With or without grasses, clover lawns often have less Leah Brilman is director of Product Management andweeds, which decreases herbicide use. Clover lawns are Technical Services at DLF in in Halsey, Ore. She says anyalso more resistant to dog spots, but are more likely to place you see white clover growing as a weed in lawns, acontribute to grass stains in clothing.clover lawn can be planted. In many sites, partial reseed- As for care, clover lawns can be maintained from low ing every two to three years helps to maintain the standto high maintenance. It can be mown down to a half-inch of clover. or left unmown. If left unmown, the leaves will become Others types of clover that work well for lawnslarger and the stand less dense. Growers can also deter-include strawberry clovers, which tend to be naturallymine the amount of flowers by how often and at what low growing with a pinkish flower. And, while they areheight they are allowed to grow. No nitrogen is required naturally drought tolerant and tolerate higher salinity andif inoculated with rhizobia at planting and occasional waterlogging than other clovers, they can be slower towatering based on needs. establish in a stand. Whether clover is left alone or mixed with turfgrasses, Red cloverswhich have pink to red flowerswillthis contributes to less hidden carbon costs and increases not tolerate being mown as low as white or strawberrythe net carbon sequestration, adds Brilman. The addi-clovers and tend to have shorter stand life. They do, how- tional appeal to pollinators increases the ecosystem ever, have a deep taproot for drought tolerance and canbenefits. NOVEMBER 2022GERMINATION.CA 31'