Crimson Clover (T. incarntum L.)

	Adapted to SE Oklahoma
	Earliest of the forage legumes
	Relatively low yields
	Suited to somewhat acid soils
	Easily established
	Low hard seed content
	Poor reestablishment
	Used in highway medians for beautification
	Grazing is more important than haying.

Crimson clover, a cool-season annual forage legume, is primarily adapted to the southeastern part of Oklahoma and is an early clover with peak production occurring in March through April.

Crimson clover is similar to arrowleaf clover in areas of adaptation and will not tolerate calcareous or poorly drained soils, but is better suited to acidic soils than arrowleaf clover. Crimson clover may be successfully established into bermudagrass by drilling the seed into a pasture that has been grazed or mowed short. Though adapted only to a small portion of the state, crimson clover is easy to establish and provides excellent forage. Crimson clover may produce abundant quantities of seed, but it differs from many other forage legumes in that few of the seeds are "hard". The lack of a high proportion of hard seed allows many seeds to germinate too early in the summer.

Seeding rate:  To add this legume to a pasture planting rates of about 25 pounds per acre are recommended.  As little as 10 pounds per acre is adequate to get it started.  Then it may thicken over time using seed produced.

Images
Seeds
Seed pods
Flowers  Leaves

John Caddel, Forage Agronomist, 
Professor of Plant & Soil Sciences

john.caddel@okstate.edu