If you’re getting ready to pull weeds from your lawn, you might want to reconsider. While pulling some weeds from your lawn can benefit your lawn’s overall health and contribute to an aesthetically pleasing look, getting rid of some plants typically considered weeds can actually do more harm than good. Clover, for example, is a “weed” that you should consider keeping in your lawn.
“Clover is a low-growing, perennial plant commonly found in lawns and gardens across the U.S., especially in moist or nitrogen-depleted soil,” says Lakshmy Gopinath, Ph.D., a turfgrass scientist at ScottsMiracle-Gro. “It spreads easily and is recognizable by its small flowers that often attract bees and other pollinators.”
Some people are inclined to attempt to remove any clover they see in their garden for several reasons. “People may not like clover because the lawn does not have a manicured look,” says Dr. Kimberly Moore, associate center director and professor of environmental horticulture at the University of Florida, IFAS, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center. “Clover adds color and texture and gives a less uniform appearance.”
We chatted with gardening and horticulture experts to learn more about why keeping clover in your lawn can be beneficial, as well as the types of grass that benefit most from doing so.
1. Clover Can Add Nitrogen
One of the main reasons experts recommend keeping clover in your lawn is that it adds nitrogen (an important fertilizer) to the soil by working with nitrogen-fixing bacteria. “Clover fixes nitrogen, adding nitrogen into the soil,” says Amy Highland, curator for the United States Botanic Garden. “So, when you have clover in your turf, you have a natural system that puts nitrogen fertilizer into your soil.”…