Trifolium repens Isabella

Trifolium repens 'Isabella' is an ornamental clover with beautifully contrasting foliage. Its leaflets display a small green grass heart surrounded by a beautiful red hue. It is carefree, hardy and easy to grow and forms a decorative ground cover, ideal for borders or pots. This perennial appreciates a sunny location where its colours are more intense and moist to wet soil. It's best to avoid planting this variety next to plants with delicate roots, as it can be a bit suffocating.

Clovers belong to the large family of legumes. The Trifolium genus includes nearly 200 species found on all continents, except for Australia. T. repens is native and widespread throughout Europe, as well as in North America, except for boreal zones. This perennial adapts to all types of soils, even limestone and clay. The 'Isabella' variety has vibrant and contrasting colours, in a duo of grass green and red. The plant forms a carpet-like and dense clump, 10 to 20 cm (4 to 8in) tall, expanding over time through creeping stems that root at the nodes. The insignificant flowering takes place in June-July. The pleasantly scented small flowers are about 1 cm (0in) long, whitish-green, sometimes pinkish, upright and gathered in heads that are initially rounded, then oval, at the end of floral stems just above the foliage. This more or less evergreen foliage is composed of leaves divided into 4 entire, rounded, red leaflets with toothed margins and a tender green heart. The fruit is a pod which contains seeds that easily self-sow in light soil.

Trifolium repens 'Isabella' can be used as a ground cover plant in pots with annuals or taller perennials, along with the colourful foliage of morning glories or spiderworts, for example. In the garden, it is very useful as a maintenance-free ground cover as it grows on its own and only needs rainwater. Ideal in hard-to-reach areas, it can also advantageously replace lawns in moderately trafficked areas. Water regularly if grown in pots. Its natural charm works well in borders and rustic flower beds, with perennials with red, green, and purple flowers. Do not grow it with less vigorous perennials, especially alpine perennials, as it will take over.