An annual clover. Good for hay, grazing, and green manure. Crimson clover has taller flower stems, grows more upright and rapidly, and produces larger seed than other clovers. Because of the larger seed, it is not as well adapted to practices like frost seeding. Like other legumes, it is a good nitrogen producer and makes a good cover crop as well as a forage. As a cover crop, the flowers are very attractive to bees and other pollinators. Fits into the rotation as a winter or spring annual in zones 6 and higher. In zones 4 & 5 winter survival is improved to about 80% reliable when mixed with other species.
Crimson clover mixed with a small grain or annual ryegrass during barley to early wheat planting dates makes a great forage and or cover crop mix.
As a cover crop, it can be terminated before summer annual planting with herbicides or moldboard plowing.
