Red Clover
Trifolium pratense
family:Fabaceae

the plant: A sprawling perennial that grows in meadows, pastures & disturbed grounds. 1-3 feet tall with many stems rising from a single tap root. the flowers are purplish-pink, shaggy, dense globes about an inch in diameter, and leaves are smooth and divided into three oval, finely toothed leaflets with a whitish chevron in the center. Originating in Asia or Europe, Red Clover has been naturalized throughout the world.

parts used: flowers


medicinal actions: alterative, antispasmodic, expectorant

indications: A sweet, cooling and tasty herb, red clover is clearing and mildly nutritive. It has affinities with the respiratory, circulatory and lymphatic systems and is known as a relaxing expectorant and a "blood cleanser". It has a reputation as a remedy for coughs, skin issues, & lymphatic indications.

As a cough rememdy it is particularly indicated with irritated, dry, chronic coughs like bronchitis and whooping cough. It is thought to help break apart and move thick stagnant blood & encysted glands - places where there is a collected residue of septic or stagnant material in the body that can cause illness. Particularly, red clover has an affinity for the salivary glands and glands around the neck. Red clover can help with skin problems like eczema and psoriasis, especially in children. It has a more modern reputation as a phytoestrogentic herb, and has been used traditionally in formulation with other herbs as a cancer remedy for centuries by western herbalism.

Energetically, Red Clover is thought to help give people hope or a feeling that they have a second chance, when it seems that recovery prospects are grim. The flower essence is said to help a person stay in contact with in their own intuitive personal truth in the face of mass hysteria or herd-consciousness.

contraindications: May interact with blood-thinning medications.

preparation: tea or tincture of dried flowers

note: This information is not a replacement for a trained herbalist. Please consult your medical professional before treating yourself or others with this or any other herbal remedy.

 

 

back to list >