White Clover
 |
| Picture taken in the ERJ yard. Given our abundant rains this year we have white clover growing everywhere. |
"The Land of Milk and Honey" has been interpreted as a land rich in White Clover. Clover makes milk. Clover makes honey. Clover fixes nitrogen and makes it available for the plants that associated with it.
White clover demands moisture as it has shallow roots. It demands soil that is not acidic. It demands abundant potassium and weird micronutrients like molybddnum. It demands sunlight which translates to regular grazing. White clover is a short plant and cannot compete with tall grasses unless they get grazed down on a regular basis. In spite of its demands white clover does the heavy lifting in the pasture.
A common guideline is to attempt to manage your pasture sward so somewhere between 20% and 50% of the canopy is white clover. A land with pastures between 20% and 50% truly is a land of milk and honey.
The guideline of having 20%-to-50% of the canopy belong to nitrogen fixing plants is also a decent rule for woodlots and orchards as well. I use the word "canopy" to mean the sunlight intercepted by plants.
Secondary Nitrogen Fixing Plants in the sward
 |
| Red Clover |
 |
| Birdsfoot trefoil |
 |
| Alfalfa |
Nitrogen Fixing Plants In the woods
 |
| Black Locust |
Durable wood, good firewood, flowers provide nectar to bees. Roots tend to throw up suckers all over the place. Twigs are thorny.
 |
| Autumn Olive |
Large shrub. Very drought tolerant. Edible berries. Good honey plant. Considered invasive in many places.
On my wish list
Edible, Nitrogen Fixing Vines that thrive in difficult places.
 |
| Between a road and a pond. You can see cattails and pond water in upper left corner of photo. |
Most Ground Nuts in the north are triploid and don't set seeds. They were spread by tubers. Reading between the lines, they were probably spread by native Americans, either as intentional agriculture or as spilled food.
These Ground Nuts were photographed on the property of a family who homeschools. I printed off some material from the internet and shared the news of their good fortune. I asked that they share some tubers with me if they dug some up as a homeschool lesson. Time will tell.
I marked out the densest portion of this patch with some surveyor's flags. I intend to come back after a killing frost and remove a few shovelfuls worth of soil.
These plants are on my parent's property so I am good-to-go for permission.
Additional resources
Link to an article about using Nitrogen Fixing Plants in Permaculture
List of some Nitrogen Fixing Plants from
HERE. Estimates of Nitrogen Fixing capability should be taken with a grain of salt.
| Scientific Name
|
PLANTS Floristic Area
|
Coppice Potential
|
Nitrogen Fixation
|
Berry/Nut/Seed Product
|
Palatable Browse Animal
|
Palatable Graze Animal
|
Palatable Human
|
|---|
| Acacia constricta |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
|
Yes |
| Acacia cyclops |
NA (L48) |
Yes |
Medium |
No |
Low |
|
No |
| Acacia longifolia |
NA (L48) |
Yes |
Medium |
No |
Low |
|
No |
| Acacia melanoxylon |
NA (L48), HI |
Yes |
Medium |
No |
Low |
|
No |
| Albizia julibrissin |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Alnus glutinosa |
NA (L48, CAN) |
Yes |
High |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Alnus incana |
NA (L48, AK, CAN, SPM) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Low |
No |
| Alnus incana ssp. rugosa |
NA (L48, CAN, SPM) |
Yes |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Alnus maritima |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Low |
No |
| Alnus rhombifolia |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Alnus rubra |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
No |
High |
No |
Medium |
|
No |
| Alnus serrulata |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Low |
No |
| Alnus viridis ssp. crispa |
NA (L48, AK, CAN, GL, SPM) |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Alnus viridis ssp. sinuata |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Amorpha canescens |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
Low |
No |
| Amorpha fruticosa |
NA (L48, CAN) |
Yes |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Amorpha glabra |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Low |
No |
| Andira inermis |
NA (L48), PR, VI |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Apios americana |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
Yes |
| Astragalus agrestis |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Astragalus canadensis |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Astragalus cicer |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
No |
High |
No |
High |
Medium |
No |
| Astragalus curvicarpus |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Astragalus filipes |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Low |
No |
| Astragalus lentiginosus |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
|
No |
| Astragalus mollissimus var. mollissimus |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
|
No |
| Astragalus purshii |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Baptisia tinctoria |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Low |
No |
| Caesalpinia gilliesii |
NA (L48), PR |
No |
Low |
Yes |
|
|
Yes |
| Cajanus cajan |
NA (L48), HI, PR, VI |
No |
Medium |
Yes |
High |
High |
Yes |
| Calliandra eriophylla |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Caragana arborescens |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
Yes |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Casuarina cunninghamiana |
NA (L48), PR |
No |
Low |
No |
|
|
No |
| Casuarina equisetifolia |
NA (L48), HI, PR, VI |
No |
Low |
No |
|
|
No |
| Casuarina glauca |
NA (L48), HI |
Yes |
Low |
No |
|
|
No |
| Catalpa speciosa |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Ceanothus americanus |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Low |
Yes |
| Ceanothus cordulatus |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
High |
Low |
No |
| Ceanothus cuneatus |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Low |
No |
| Ceanothus fresnensis |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Low |
No |
| Ceanothus greggii |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Ceanothus integerrimus |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
High |
Medium |
No |
| Ceanothus megacarpus |
NA (L48) |
Yes |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Ceanothus papillosus |
NA (L48) |
Yes |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Ceanothus prostratus |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Ceanothus sanguineus |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Ceanothus velutinus |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Cercocarpus ledifolius |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
High |
Low |
No |
| Cercocarpus montanus |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
High |
Medium |
No |
| Chamaecrista fasciculata |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
Medium |
No |
| Comptonia peregrina |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Low |
No |
| Crotalaria spectabilis |
NA (L48), HI, PR |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Cytisus scoparius |
NA (L48, AK, CAN), HI |
No |
High |
No |
Low |
|
No |
| Dalea candida var. candida |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
High |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Dalea formosa |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Dalea purpurea var. purpurea |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Delonix regia |
NA (L48), HI, PR, VI |
No |
Low |
No |
|
|
No |
| Desmanthus illinoensis |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Desmanthus virgatus |
NA (L48), PR, VI |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Desmodium incanum |
NA (L48), HI, PR, VI |
Yes |
Low |
Yes |
High |
High |
No |
| Desmodium paniculatum |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Desmodium perplexum |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Low |
No |
| Desmodium tortuosum |
NA (L48), HI, PR, VI |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Desmodium triflorum |
NA (L48), HI, PR, VI |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
Yes |
| Dryas drummondii |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Low |
No |
| Dryas octopetala |
NA (L48, AK, CAN, GL) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Elaeagnus angustifolia |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
High |
No |
Low |
Low |
Yes |
| Elaeagnus commutata |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Low |
Yes |
| Elaeagnus umbellata |
NA (L48, CAN), HI |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Low |
Yes |
| Gleditsia aquatica |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Gliricidia sepium |
NA (L48), PR, VI |
No |
High |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Glycine max |
NA (L48, CAN), PR |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
High |
Yes |
| Glycyrrhiza lepidota |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
|
|
No |
| Gymnocladus dioicus |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Hedysarum alpinum |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
High |
High |
Yes |
| Hedysarum boreale |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Hedysarum boreale ssp. boreale var. boreale |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Hedysarum sulphurescens |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
High |
No |
| Hippophae rhamnoides |
NA (CAN) |
Yes |
Medium |
Yes |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Indigofera hirsuta |
NA (L48), PR |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Kummerowia stipulacea |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
High |
No |
| Kummerowia striata |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
High |
No |
| Lablab purpureus |
NA (L48, CAN), HI, PR, VI |
No |
Medium |
Yes |
High |
High |
Yes |
| Lathyrus hirsutus |
NA (L48) |
No |
High |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Lathyrus japonicus |
NA (L48, AK, CAN, GL, SPM) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Lathyrus littoralis |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
|
|
No |
| Lathyrus polyphyllus |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
|
|
No |
| Lathyrus tuberosus |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Lespedeza capitata |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Low |
No |
| Lespedeza hirta |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Lespedeza virgata |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Leucaena leucocephala |
NA (L48), VI |
No |
High |
No |
High |
High |
Yes |
| Leucaena retusa |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
Yes |
Medium |
High |
No |
| Lonicera maackii |
NA (L48, CAN) |
Yes |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Lotus corniculatus |
NA (L48, CAN, SPM) |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Lotus crassifolius |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
Medium |
No |
| Lotus glaber |
NA (L48, CAN) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Lotus tenuis |
|
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
High |
No |
| Lotus wrightii |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
High |
Medium |
No |
| Lupinus albicaulis |
NA (L48) |
No |
High |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Lupinus albus |
NA (L48) |
No |
High |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Lupinus ×alpestris |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Lupinus angustifolius |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
High |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Lupinus arboreus |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Lupinus arcticus |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Low |
Yes |
| Lupinus argenteus |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Lupinus caudatus |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Lupinus covillei |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Lupinus elmeri |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Lupinus havardii |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Lupinus latifolius |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Lupinus lepidus |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Lupinus luteolus |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
|
|
No |
| Lupinus luteus |
NA (L48) |
No |
High |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Lupinus nevadensis |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Lupinus nootkatensis |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
Medium |
No |
| Lupinus sericeus |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Lupinus sulphureus |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Macroptilium atropurpureum |
NA (L48), HI, PR |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Medicago lupulina |
NA (L48, AK, CAN, GL, SPM), HI |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Medicago polymorpha |
NA (L48, AK, CAN), HI |
No |
High |
No |
Medium |
High |
Yes |
| Medicago sativa |
NA (L48, AK, CAN), HI, PR, VI |
No |
High |
No |
High |
High |
Yes |
| Medicago scutellata |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Melilotus indicus |
NA (L48, CAN, GL), HI |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Melilotus indica |
|
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Melilotus officinalis |
NA (L48, AK, CAN, GL, SPM), HI, PR |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Medium |
No |
| Melilotus alba |
|
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
No |
| Morella californica |
NA (L48, CAN) |
Yes |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Morella pensylvanica |
NA (L48, CAN, SPM) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Morinda citrifolia |
NA (L48), HI, PR, VI |
No |
High |
Yes |
|
|
No |
| Myrica gale |
NA (L48, AK, CAN, SPM) |
No |
Low |
No |
|
|
No |
| Oenothera pilosella |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Olneya tesota |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Low |
Yes |
| Onobrychis viciifolia |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Oxytropis lambertii |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
|
|
No |
| Oxytropis splendens |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
Medium |
No |
| Phragmites australis |
NA (L48, CAN), HI, PR |
No |
Low |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Pluchea odorata var. odorata |
NA (L48), PR, VI |
No |
Low |
No |
|
Medium |
No |
| Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa |
NA (L48), VI |
Yes |
Low |
No |
Medium |
High |
Yes |
| Prosopis pubescens |
NA (L48) |
Yes |
Low |
No |
High |
High |
Yes |
| Purshia glandulosa |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Purshia stansburiana |
NA (L48) |
Yes |
Low |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Purshia tridentata |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
High |
Medium |
No |
| Robinia neomexicana |
NA (L48) |
Yes |
Low |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Robinia pseudoacacia |
NA (L48, CAN) |
Yes |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Securigera varia |
NA (L48, CAN), HI |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Coronilla varia |
|
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
Medium |
No |
| Senna marilandica |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Sesbania grandiflora |
NA (L48), PR, VI |
Yes |
Medium |
Yes |
High |
High |
Yes |
| Shepherdia argentea |
NA (L48, CAN) |
Yes |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Low |
Yes |
| Shepherdia canadensis |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
Yes |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
Low |
Yes |
| Sophora secundiflora |
NA (L48) |
Yes |
Medium |
No |
|
|
No |
| Trifolium alexandrinum |
NA (L48) |
No |
High |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Trifolium ambiguum |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Trifolium fragiferum |
NA (L48, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Trifolium hirtum |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Trifolium hybridum |
NA (L48, AK, CAN, SPM), HI |
No |
High |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Trifolium incarnatum |
NA (L48, CAN), HI |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Trifolium longipes |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Low |
Low |
No |
| Trifolium macrocephalum |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
High |
No |
| Trifolium nigrescens |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Trifolium pratense |
NA (L48, AK, CAN, GL, SPM), HI, PR |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Trifolium repens |
NA (L48, AK, CAN, GL, SPM), HI |
No |
High |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Trifolium subterraneum |
NA (L48, CAN), HI |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Trifolium vesiculosum |
NA (L48) |
No |
High |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Trifolium wormskioldii |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
No |
Medium |
No |
Medium |
High |
No |
| Vicia americana |
NA (L48, AK, CAN) |
No |
Low |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Vicia benghalensis |
NA (L48) |
No |
Low |
No |
|
|
No |
| Vicia cracca |
NA (L48, AK, CAN, GL, SPM), HI |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Vicia grandiflora |
NA (L48) |
No |
High |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Vicia lutea |
NA (L48) |
No |
High |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Vicia sativa |
NA (L48, AK, CAN, SPM), HI |
No |
Low |
No |
Medium |
Medium |
Yes |
| Vicia villosa |
NA (L48, AK, CAN), HI |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
High |
No |
| Vigna radiata |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
High |
Yes |
| Vigna unguiculata |
NA (L48), PR, VI |
No |
High |
No |
High |
High |
Yes |
| Wisteria frutescens |
NA (L48) |
No |
Medium |
No |
High |
High |
No |
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