Clover Lawn Ideas: 10 Yards Before and After, With Pros, Cons and Seed Rates

A clover lawn is a lawn of white clover, or of a small-leaved white clover called microclover, either on its own or mixed into grass. People switch because clover fixes its own nitrogen, stays green in dry spells and needs less mowing. The catch: it handles foot traffic worse than grass, draws bees when it flowers, can die back in winter and usually needs reseeding every few years.

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Below are 10 clover lawn ideas shown as before and after pictures: a full clover front lawn, a grass and microclover mix, a strip by the curb, a dog run, a play area, a flowering border, a slope, a bee lawn and two UK gardens. After them: pros and cons, pure clover vs a mix, how much seed to use and when to sow (the sources disagree, so we show each one), care, and UK clover lawns. The exact instructions are further down, so you can try any of them on a photo of your own yard.

10 clover lawn ideas, before and after

In each pair, the left image was generated by AI as a stand-in for an ordinary yard, and the right image is that same picture edited by AI from a written instruction. These are not photos of real customer homes, and they show the look, not how clover will grow in your soil. We made them with our own AI model, which is not one of the models you can pick in the landscape tool, so a render in the tool may look different. We made each pair once; four edits missed the instruction, so we reworded those four and ran them again, as their captions say. The exact instructions are further down the page.

1. A patchy front lawn turned into white clover

Whole front lawn · White clover

AI-generated example: a white two-story colonial house with black shutters, a patchy brown front lawn with bare spots, a driveway and foundation shrubs

Before

AI-edited version of the same image: the front lawn covered edge to edge in low white clover with many small white flower heads, the bare spots gone

After

White clover, whole front lawn. Already in the before: the house, the shutters, the driveway and the shrubs along the house. Our first run only made the grass a little greener and left the brown spots, so we reworded the instruction to say "the whole lawn area" and "no bare soil" and ran it twice more; this is the better of those two runs. What followed: the lawn is now a low clover carpet with no bare spots. What it overdid: there are far more white flowers than most clover lawns show at one time; for much of the season a clover lawn is mostly green leaves. Most sources do not recommend a lawn of clover alone (see pure clover vs a mix below), so treat this as the look, not the plan.

2. A thin backyard lawn thickened with microclover

Backyard lawn · Grass and microclover

AI-generated example: a thin pale fescue lawn with bare patches in a backyard with a wooden privacy fence and a concrete patio with two chairs

Before

AI-edited version of the same image: a thick deep green lawn of short grass with small clover leaves mixed through it, no bare patches, next to the patio

After

Grass and microclover, backyard. Already in the before: the fence, the patio and the two chairs. Our first run left the bare patches, so we reworded it to ask for no bare patches and ran it twice more; this is the better of those two runs. What followed: a thick, even lawn where small round clover leaves show between the grass blades, mown short with no flowers. What it may overdo: the clover leaves look a little larger than real microclover. This is the option most sources favor: Illinois Extension describes microclover as smaller-leaved and slower-spreading than common white clover, and the DLF guide recommends it mixed with grass, not alone.

3. A dead curb strip turned into flowering clover

Strip between sidewalk and curb · White clover

AI-generated example: a dead brown strip of grass between a concrete sidewalk and the curb, with a young street tree and houses along the street

Before

AI-edited version of the same image: the strip between the sidewalk and the curb covered in low white clover in full bloom around the street tree

After

White clover, curb strip. Already in the before: the sidewalk, the curb, the street tree and the street. What followed the instruction: the dead strip is now low clover in bloom, and the sidewalk, curb and tree are unchanged. A strip nobody walks on suits clover well, since traffic is its weak point. Check your city's rules for the strip first; some places set what can grow there.

4. A dog-worn backyard turned into microclover

Dog run · Microclover

AI-generated example: a backyard lawn with yellow-brown dog urine spots, a worn muddy path along a chain-link fence and a small wooden dog house

Before

AI-edited version of the same image: the yard covered in low green clover with grass, the muddy path gone, a few yellow spots still showing near the door

After

Microclover, dog run. Already in the before: the chain-link fence, the dog house and the open door frame. What followed the instruction: the muddy path is gone and the yard is a low green clover and grass cover. What it did not follow: a few of the yellow spots are still there near the door. Seed seller American Meadows published a before and after of a microclover lawn put in for dogs; that is one owner's story, not a trial. Clover still wears thin where a dog runs the same line every day.

5. Clover around a swing set, with the worn patch left

Under a play set · White clover

AI-generated example: a backyard with a wooden swing set and slide, a large bare dirt patch under the swings and thin patchy lawn around it

Before

AI-edited version of the same image: dense green clover around the swing set and slide, with a smaller bare dirt patch left under the swings

After

White clover, play area. Already in the before: the swing set, the slide and the fence. What followed the instruction: the thin lawn around the set is now dense green clover, and we asked it to keep a worn patch right under the swings, which it did. We kept that patch on purpose. Purdue expects clover not to stand up to heavy foot traffic, and clover in bloom draws bees, which matters where children play barefoot.

6. A flowering clover border along the front walk

Border along the front walk · White and pink clover

AI-generated example: a gray craftsman bungalow with a porch, a green front lawn and a straight concrete walk to the steps

Before

AI-edited version of the same image: a strip of white and pink flowering clover along both sides of the front walk, with the rest of the lawn left as grass

After

White and pink clover border, front yard. Already in the before: the house, the porch, the walk and the grass lawn. What followed the instruction: a band of white and pink flowers along both sides of the walk, with the rest of the lawn kept as grass. What it did not follow: the band on the left is wider than the one on the right, and the flowers stand taller than a mown clover strip would. This is a way to try clover without giving up the lawn; Purdue notes clover spreads into nearby beds, so an edge helps.

7. A hard-to-mow slope covered in clover

Slope · White clover

AI-generated example: a steep slope beside a beige two-story house with thin tufts of grass and bare soil, and a stacked stone retaining wall at the bottom

Before

AI-edited version of the same image: the whole slope covered in thick green clover leaves with small white flower heads, above the stone retaining wall

After

White clover, slope. Already in the before: the house, the slope and the stone retaining wall. Our first run turned the slope a silvery grey with grass tufts and bare soil still showing, so we reworded it to ask for green clover leaves and no bare soil and ran it twice more; this is the better of those two runs. What followed: thick green clover over the whole slope. What it overdid: the leaves are drawn larger than real white clover. A slope is hard to mow, which suits clover's slow growth, but Illinois Extension warns that its top growth dies back in winter and can leave bare spots that erode, so on a steep slope keep some grass in the mix.

8. A plain lawn turned into a flowering bee lawn

Bee lawn · Clover, self-heal and thyme

AI-generated example: a tan brick ranch house with a picture window, a two-car garage, a driveway and a plain short green lawn

Before

AI-edited version of the same image: the front lawn turned into a low flowering meadow of white, pink and purple flowers mixed through fine grass

After

Bee lawn, front yard. Already in the before: the house, the window, the garage and the driveway. Our first run added only one small purple patch, so we reworded it and ran it twice more; this is the better of those two runs. What followed: white, pink and purple flowers mixed through fine grass across the whole lawn. What it did not follow: we asked for a lawn mown low, and this looks more like a short meadow; the white flowers look more like daisies than clover heads. A real bee lawn is mown low and the flowers grow among the grass. Clover's flowers give nectar to bees (RHS, NC State), which is the point of a bee lawn.

9. A tired terraced-house lawn turned into clover

UK terraced back garden · Microleaf white clover

AI-generated example: a narrow back garden of a UK terraced house with a tired lawn with brown patches, a brick wall, grey patio slabs and a shed

Before

AI-edited version of the same image: the narrow lawn now a low even green clover lawn with a few small white flowers, beside the brick wall and slabs

After

Microleaf clover, UK back garden. Already in the before: the brick wall, the patio slabs, the shed and the open back door. What followed the instruction: the brown patches are gone and the lawn is a low, even green with a few small white flowers. What it did not follow: one bare patch in the middle is still there. The RHS treats clover in a lawn as a choice: a weed to some, a drought-tolerant, bee-friendly lawn plant to others.

10. A small front garden with a flowering clover margin

UK front garden · Grass with a red and white clover margin

AI-generated example: a UK semi-detached brick house with a bay window, a small front lawn, a low brick wall, a paved path and wheelie bins

Before

AI-edited version of the same image: the small front lawn kept as grass with a margin of red and white flowers along the low brick wall

After

Grass with a clover margin, UK front garden. Already in the before: the house, the bay window, the low wall, the path and the bins. What followed the instruction: a band of red and white flowers along the wall, with the lawn kept short. What it did not follow: we asked for a curved mown path through the lawn, and there is none, and the red flowers look more like garden flowers than red clover. A longer flowering edge with a short-mown middle is an easy way to try clover in a small front garden.

What a clover lawn is: white clover vs microclover

Most clover lawns use white clover (Trifolium repens), also sold as Dutch white clover. It is a low, creeping perennial that spreads by runners. Penn State calls it one of the most common weeds of home lawns, and notes it does best in full sun and in lawns that get little fertilizer. Whether it is a weed or the point of the lawn is your choice; the RHS frames it the same way.

Microclover is a selection of white clover with smaller leaves and a slower, less aggressive habit (Illinois Extension); 'Pirouette' and 'Pipolina' are two named varieties. It was bred to grow with turfgrass, so it blends into a lawn instead of forming large patches. Its seed costs more and is harder to find in stores (Illinois Extension).

Clover lawn pros and cons

These are the points the extension services and garden bodies agree on, with where each one comes from.

Clover lawn pros and cons, by source
What the sources saySource
Pro: less fertilizerClover is a legume and fixes nitrogen, so it needs no nitrogen fertilizer and feeds the grass around it.Iowa State, Purdue, RHS
Pro: stays green in dry spellsDrought tolerant and stays green when grass browns. It still needs watering in a long dry spell.RHS; Tom Cook (Oregon State) via Ask Extension
Pro: pollinatorsThe flowers give nectar to bees and butterflies.RHS, NC State
Pro: less mowingA few mowings a year, or none; white clover tops out at about 5 to 6 inches.This Old House, the Old Farmer's Almanac, Purdue
Con: bees and stingsFlowering can last for months, and the bees it draws can bother people using the lawn.Purdue, the Almanac
Con: foot trafficExpected to recover poorly from heavy use; a lawn of clover alone will not take traffic.Purdue, DLF guide
Con: stainsClothes pick up more grass stains on a pure clover lawn.DLF guide
Con: short lifeNot persistent enough to last more than a few years without overseeding; This Old House says two to three years.Tom Cook via Ask Extension, This Old House, Illinois
Con: winter diebackTop growth dies back in winter, which can leave bare spots and erosion.Illinois, DLF guide, NC State
Con: weedkillersMost broadleaf lawn herbicides kill it, so a clover lawn means no weed-and-feed.Illinois, Penn State
Con: spreading and edgesCreeps into mulch beds, and you cannot keep a crisp edge along walks.Purdue, DLF guide
Con: heat and shade (microclover)Microclover does not like high heat and drought, or shade.Illinois

Pure clover or a clover and grass mix

Most of the sources say not to plant clover alone. NC State says clover is great mixed into a lawn but not realistic as the only plant. The DLF guide, from the breeder of the best-known microclover, does not recommend a new lawn of white clover only, partly because of winter dieback in the north. Purdue adds that clover does not form a very dense canopy.

So the realistic ideas above are examples 2, 5, 6 and 10: clover mixed into grass, clover where traffic is light, or a flowering clover edge around a grass lawn. A full clover lawn (example 1) looks lush in early summer, but expect thin spots in winter and reseeding every few years.

How much clover seed to use

Seed rates vary a lot from one source to the next: for white clover overseeded into a lawn, one source gives 2 ounces per 1,000 square feet and another gives half a pound. That is partly because some mean a few clover plants in the grass and others mean mostly clover. The table shows each rate with its source instead of one number.

Clover seed rates as each source gives them
UseRateSource
White clover overseeded into a lawnAbout 2 oz per 1,000 sq ft (1.5 lb per 10,000 sq ft)Ask Extension (Michigan question, 2022); the Almanac repeats 2 oz
White clover in a new grass seed mix5 to 10% of the grass seed weightThe Old Farmer's Almanac
A mostly clover lawnAbout half a pound per 1,000 sq ftThis Old House
Microclover overseeded into grass1 lb per 1,000 sq ft (5 g per sq m)DLF guide
Microclover in a new grass seeding5% of the total grass seed weightDLF guide
Pure clover lawn, UK1.2 to 1.5 g per square metre, sown in springAgrigem (UK seed seller)

Clover seed is tiny, so mixing it with sand or with the grass seed helps spread it evenly.

When to plant a clover lawn

Timing depends on where you live, and the sources do not agree on spring.

  • North Carolina Piedmont (NC State): White and red clover in early fall, September 15 to October 15, or frost-seeded in February. Spring is too late there.
  • Iowa (Iowa State): In spring once it warms up, or in late summer about two months before the first frost.
  • Illinois (Illinois Extension, microclover): Any time from early spring to late summer.
  • Michigan (Ask Extension): Overseed in spring or fall, in the sunny parts of the lawn.
  • DLF guide (microclover): Best in early fall and in late spring to early summer; for a late summer sowing, about 6 weeks before the first hard frost.
  • UK (Agrigem): Sow in spring.

How to plant and care for a clover lawn

  • Sun: Penn State says white clover grows best in full sun. DLF asks for 4 hours of direct sun or 6 to 8 hours of filtered sun. Sources disagree on shade: This Old House says clover grows in sun and shade, while Illinois says microclover does poorly in shade.
  • Soil: pH between 6.0 and 7.0 (the Almanac); clover can be shorter-lived on acid soil (Agrigem).
  • Before overseeding: Mow the lawn close and remove thatch so the seed reaches the soil (Ask Extension, Michigan).
  • Watering: Keep it moist until it is established, usually 2 to 3 weeks (DLF guide). The Almanac says about 10 days, or until a week after the seeds sprout.
  • How fast: In one dog lawn, American Meadows reports sprouting within 10 days, green cover in about a month and the lawn grown in at two months.
  • Mowing: Microclover can be mown as low as half an inch, or only once or twice a year (DLF guide). Mixed with tall fescue or bluegrass, DLF mows at 4.5 inches back to 3. This Old House waits for about 3 inches of growth before the first mow.
  • Feeding and weeds: Clover itself needs no nitrogen (Purdue), though the DLF guide still recommends some nitrogen in spring and early summer to keep microclover at the share you want in a mix. Skip broadleaf weedkillers: most of them kill clover (Illinois).
  • Reseeding: Plan to overseed every few years as the clover thins (Tom Cook via Ask Extension, This Old House).

Clover lawns in the UK

In the UK, clover in a lawn is usually discussed as keep-or-remove. The RHS covers white clover, red clover and other low pea-family plants that turn up in lawns, and sets out both sides: a lawn weed to some, a drought-tolerant, bee-friendly plant that needs no feeding to others. The RHS also says clover resists many selective lawn weedkillers, the opposite of the US advice above; UK products differ, so check the label.

For a new clover lawn, UK seed seller Agrigem gives 1.2 to 1.5 g per square metre sown in spring, a mowing height of about 8 to 10 cm for a clover and grass mix, and a warning that clover can be shorter-lived on acid soil. Examples 9 and 10 above show a small terraced back garden and a semi-detached front garden.

How to try clover on a photo of your yard

  1. Take a photo of the lawn from where you would normally stand, in daylight, with the whole area in frame.
  2. Open the landscape tool, choose Custom, and paste one of the instructions below into the Custom Design Requirements box.
  3. Change what the lawn becomes (pure clover, a grass mix, a border) and what must stay, then generate.
  4. If it misses something, as several of our examples did, reword that part and run it again.

The picture shows the look, not how clover will grow in your soil and climate. Use the facts above for that.

Clover lawn instructions to paste into Custom mode

These are the exact instructions we used for the 10 examples above, in the same order (for examples 1, 2, 7 and 8, the reworded second version). In the landscape tool, choose Custom, paste one into the Custom Design Requirements box, then upload a photo of your yard. Swap in what you want the lawn to become and what must stay.

  1. Replace the entire grass lawn with a pure white clover lawn: the whole lawn area is covered edge to edge in dense low round three-part clover leaves, a lighter fresh green than grass, with hundreds of small round white clover flower heads scattered across it, no brown spots, no bare soil. Keep the house, shutters, driveway, foundation shrubs, sky and camera angle exactly the same.
  2. Replace the whole thin lawn with a thick dense lush deep green lawn with no bare patches and no worn lines, made of short grass with many tiny microclover leaves mixed evenly through it, freshly mown, no flowers. Keep the fence, patio, chairs, sky and camera angle exactly the same.
  3. Change ONLY the strip between the sidewalk and the curb: replace the dead grass with a low dense white clover groundcover in bloom with many small white flower heads. Keep the sidewalk, curb, street tree, street, house, car, sky and camera angle exactly the same.
  4. Change ONLY the lawn: replace the spotted grass and the muddy path with an even, dense, low green microclover lawn with tiny clover leaves, no flowers, no brown spots. Keep the chain-link fence, the dog house, the trees, the sky and the camera angle exactly the same.
  5. Change ONLY the lawn: turn the thin grass around the swing set into a dense low green clover lawn with a few white clover flowers, but keep a smaller worn bare dirt strip directly under the swings. Keep the swing set, slide, fence, sky and camera angle exactly the same.
  6. Change ONLY a strip of lawn about one meter wide on both sides of the front walk: make it a flowering clover border of white and pink clover in bloom with bees. Keep the rest of the grass lawn, the walk, the porch, the house, the bed, the sky and the camera angle exactly the same.
  7. Replace the thin grass and bare soil on the whole slope with a thick, green, continuous carpet of low white clover: lush green round three-part clover leaves covering every bit of the slope, with small round white clover flower heads scattered over it. No bare soil, no grey patches. Keep the stone retaining wall, the house, the sky and the camera angle exactly the same.
  8. Replace the entire grass lawn with a flowering bee lawn: the whole lawn is low and covered in hundreds of white clover flower heads, many small purple self-heal flowers and patches of pink creeping thyme in bloom mixed through short fine grass, like a low flowering meadow carpet. Keep the house, window, driveway, sky and camera angle exactly the same.
  9. Change ONLY the lawn: make it a fresh, even, low microleaf white clover lawn with tiny clover leaves and a few small white flowers. Keep the brick wall, the patio slabs, the shed, the sky and the camera angle exactly the same.
  10. Change ONLY the lawn: make it a grass and clover mix mown short along a curved mown path, with a longer margin of flowering white and red clover along the low wall. Keep the house, bay window, front wall, paved path, bins, sky and camera angle exactly the same.

Clover lawn questions

What is a clover lawn?

A lawn of white clover (Trifolium repens) or the smaller-leaved microclover, either alone or mixed into grass. Clover fixes its own nitrogen, stays green in dry spells and needs less mowing than grass.

What are the downsides of a clover lawn?

It recovers poorly from heavy foot traffic, stains clothes, draws bees while it flowers, dies back in winter and usually needs reseeding every few years. Most broadleaf lawn weedkillers kill it, and it creeps into flower beds (Purdue, Illinois, DLF guide, This Old House).

Is microclover better than white clover for a lawn?

For a lawn mixed with grass, usually yes: microclover has smaller leaves and spreads more slowly, so it blends into the grass (Illinois Extension). It costs more, is harder to find, and does poorly in shade and in hot, dry weather.

Can I have a lawn of only clover?

You can, but most sources advise against it. NC State says clover alone is not realistic, and the DLF guide does not recommend a new lawn of white clover only, partly because it dies back in winter. A mix of grass and clover holds up better.

How much clover seed do I need?

It depends on how much clover you want. For white clover overseeded into a lawn, Ask Extension gives about 2 oz per 1,000 sq ft; This Old House gives about half a pound per 1,000 sq ft for a mostly clover lawn; DLF gives 1 lb per 1,000 sq ft for microclover into existing grass.

When is the best time to plant clover?

It depends on your region. NC State says early fall (September 15 to October 15) in the North Carolina Piedmont, where spring is too late. Iowa State says spring or late summer, and Illinois says early spring to late summer for microclover.

Is a clover lawn good for dogs?

It can be. Seed seller American Meadows published one microclover lawn put in for dogs that sprouted within 10 days and grew in at two months, but that is one owner's story, not a trial. Clover still wears thin where a dog runs the same path, so a grass and clover mix is safer for an active dog.

Can I see a clover lawn on a photo of my own yard?

Yes. Upload a photo to the landscape tool, choose Custom, and describe the lawn you want: pure clover, a grass and clover mix or a flowering border, and what must stay. The result is a picture for planning, not a growing forecast.

Is the clover lawn tool free?

You need an account, and it is free: 1 free render with a free account, and free renders carry a watermark. A paid plan gives you more renders and removes the watermark.

Sources for the clover lawn facts

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