Product Description
Trifolium repens 'Autropurpureum'
Trifolium repens 'Atropurpureum', also known as Purple Dutch Clover, is a unique and attractive variety of white clover. Unlike the common white clover with its green leaves, 'Atropurpureum' boasts striking dark purple-bronze foliage with green edges, adding a touch of drama to lawns and gardens.
Key Features:
- Foliage: The trifoliate (three-leaflet) leaves are its main attraction, displaying a rich dark purple color with contrasting green margins. This eye-catching foliage provides a beautiful contrast to other green plants.
- Flowers: In late spring to early summer, it produces small, white, globe-shaped flower clusters that attract pollinators like bees and butterflies.
- Growth Habit: It is a low-growing, spreading perennial that forms a dense mat, typically reaching 3-6 inches tall and spreading 12-18 inches wide. It spreads via creeping stems that root at the nodes, making it an effective groundcover.
- Hardiness: It is hardy in USDA zones 4-9, tolerating a wide range of climates.
- Low Maintenance: Once established, it is quite low-maintenance and drought-tolerant.
Growing Conditions:
- Sunlight: It prefers full sun to partial shade.
- Soil: It thrives in moist, well-drained soil but tolerates a variety of soil types.
- Moisture: It prefers consistent moisture but can tolerate some drought once established.
Uses in the Landscape:
- Groundcover: Its spreading habit makes it ideal for suppressing weeds and covering bare ground in lawns, meadows, or garden beds.
- Lawns: It can be used as a low-maintenance lawn alternative or mixed with grasses to create a more diverse and resilient lawn.
- Containers: It can be used as a spiller or filler in containers and hanging baskets.
- Erosion Control: It helps stabilize soil on slopes and banks, preventing erosion.
Benefits:
- Nitrogen Fixation: Like other clovers, it is a legume that fixes nitrogen in the soil, improving soil fertility and benefiting nearby plants.
- Pollinator-Friendly: Its flowers attract beneficial pollinators to the garden.
- Erosion Control: Its dense growth habit helps prevent soil erosion.
- Low Maintenance: It requires minimal mowing and watering once established.
Additional Tips:
- Mowing: If used in a lawn, it can be left unmown to enjoy the flowers or mowed occasionally to maintain a neater appearance.
- Overseeding: It can be overseeded into existing lawns to improve soil health and add diversity.
- Weed Suppression: Its dense growth helps suppress weeds naturally.
Overall, Trifolium repens 'Atropurpureum' is a versatile and attractive groundcover that offers both visual appeal and ecological benefits. Its unique foliage, pollinator-friendly flowers, and low-maintenance nature make it a great choice for gardeners seeking a sustainable and eye-catching addition to their landscape.
Ten (10) plants in 4.5-inch containers per flat (or tray).
Other Details
The most important part of the plant is its root system. Healthy roots are the foundation of a healthy, vibrant plant. The type of plug container used is based on the specific needs of the plants. Perennials offered as bare root traditionally perform better when planted as bare root.Planted in a specialized mix, potted plants have well established root systems. Top growth stage will vary depending on the current life cycle and time of year when shipped. In Winter and early Spring dormant plants may be shipped. Dormant plants may be planted right away, even before the last frost date.
Most bare root varieties are field grown for at least one season, though Hemerocallis and Hosta are grown for two seasons. The bulk of the soil is removed during the harvesting process and the tops of most varieties are trimmed back to the crown. They are graded, packed in shredded aspen or sphagnum moss and stored in freezers until ready to be shipped.
See our Container Sizes and Bare Root Perennials pages for more information.
Plant information and care is provided in the Overview section, Plant Genus Page and general information is provided in the Planting Care & Guides. Additional questions can be asked on each Plant page.
Plant Spacing: Using the maximum mature spread or width of a plant to guide spacing, ensures space to grow to full size. To fill an area sooner, plant them closer together. Just remember, future thinning or transplanting may be needed.
Water: Keep a close eye on newly planted perennials, especially throughout the first growing year. Most early plant loss is due to too much or too little water!
