Red clover is primarily used for hay, pasture, silage, and soil improvement [it can fix nitrogen]. It is native to Europe, Western Asia, and northwest Africa, but it has been naturalized in other continents.
Red clover is a biennial or short-lived perennial bearing trifoliate leaves and clusters of flowers from spring to fall. It grows up to 30-45 cm tall and has a deep taproot which makes it tolerant to drought.
The dull, pink to rosy-purple flower heads are round to oval, up to 2.5 cm across, and densely packed with small pea-shaped flowers. At the base of these clusters there are one or two small compound leaves. The flowers of red clover have a honey-like fragrance and are mostly visited by bumblebees.