Lawn Care · Grass Alternatives
Microclover is white clover bred small, and it works best mixed into grass.
Microclover is a group of dwarf white clover (Trifolium repens) cultivars, such as ‘Pirouette’ and ‘Pipolina’, with smaller leaves, fewer flowers and less clumping than standard Dutch white clover. Seeded at a few percent of a grass mix it can cut a lawn’s nitrogen needs, but it dies back in winter, struggles in heat and drought, and most broadleaf weed killers will remove it.
SPECIES
Trifolium repens (white clover)
COMMON CULTIVARS
‘Pirouette’, ‘Pipolina’
SHARE OF A SEED MIX
About 3–5% by weight
IN WINTER
Leaves die back to the crown
Microclover vs white clover vs Dutch white clover
“White clover” and “Dutch white clover” usually mean the same everyday lawn clover. Microclover is the same species, selected for small size. University of Maryland Extension and University of Illinois Extension both name ‘Pirouette’ and ‘Pipolina’ as the microclover cultivars. Microclover® is also a trademark of the seed company DLF, which bred it for use with turfgrass (DLF management guide).
Because it’s the same plant, the biology is the same. What you pay extra for is size and manners:
| Trait | Microclover | Standard white (Dutch) clover |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Trifolium repens, dwarf cultivars | Trifolium repens |
| Leaf size | Small; blends in at grass-blade scale | Larger, more visible leaves |
| Flowering | Fewer flowers | Flowers freely |
| Growth habit | Lower, less aggressive, less clumping | Forms clumps that can compete with grass and look uneven |
| Nitrogen fixation | Yes, through Rhizobium root bacteria | Yes, the same way |
| Seed availability | Pricier and harder to find in stores | Cheap and widely sold |
The leaf, flower and habit differences are from UMD and Illinois Extension; Illinois also notes microclover seed is expensive and not easy to find at retail. If you are still deciding whether you want clover in the lawn at all, start with our clover lawn pros and cons.
Where microclover fits, and where it doesn’t
The research on microclover is mostly about mixing it into cool-season grass, not about replacing grass. Use this to check your yard before buying seed:
| Your yard | Microclover? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sunny tall fescue or Kentucky bluegrass lawn, and you want to feed less | Good fit at 3–5% of the seed | UMD found it mixes well with both and gives a uniform look; it supplies nitrogen through clippings. |
| You want an all-clover lawn with no grass | Not recommended | UMD says no current research supports it as a stand-alone lawn in Maryland, and DLF doesn’t recommend pure clover stands. |
| Hot, dry summers and no irrigation | Poor fit | UMD and Illinois both say it doesn’t tolerate high heat or drought. |
| Shady yard | Uncertain | Illinois says it does poorly in shade; DLF lists a minimum of 4 hours of direct sun. Treat the claims as conflicting and test a small patch. |
| You spray broadleaf weed killer every year | Conflicts with your program | Most broadleaf lawn herbicides kill it (see below). |
| Play area, dog run or path | Fine as part of a mix | DLF says a pure clover lawn won’t take traffic, but mixed with grass it adds to a wear-tolerant turf. |
| Steep bank where bare soil would erode | Use caution | UMD notes winter dieback can leave bare spots and lead to erosion. |
How much microclover seed to use
Microclover seed is tiny, so the amounts look small next to grass seed. A Fairfax County Master Gardeners write-up of the University of Maryland tall fescue and microclover work puts ‘Pirouette’ at 3 to 5% of the grass seed by weight when overseeding tall fescue, and warns that above about 10% it may take over the stand (Fairfax Master Gardeners). DLF’s guide uses 5% of total seed weight for a new lawn blend (DLF).
Worked example. You’re overseeding a 3,000 sq ft tall fescue lawn. Overseeding at half the UMass new-lawn rate of 7 to 9 lb, as K-State suggests, puts tall fescue at 3.5 to 4.5 lb per 1,000 sq ft, so you need 10.5 to 13.5 lb of grass seed.
Microclover at 3 to 5% of that weight is about 0.3 to 0.7 lb (5 to 11 oz) for the whole lawn. Mix it into the grass seed so it spreads evenly, or spread it in a separate pass at the same walking speed.
Our how much grass seed do I need guide has rates for other grasses. Seed sellers’ straight-overseeding rates for microclover vary widely, so follow the bag if you’re seeding clover alone into an existing lawn. Illinois notes the seed often comes pre-coated with Rhizobium bacteria; buy inoculated seed so the nitrogen fixation actually happens.
Planting microclover into an existing lawn
- Check soil pH first. Clover wants roughly 6.0 to 7.0; below that, nitrogen fixation drops, as our clover lawn guide explains. A soil test tells you whether to lime first.
- Time it. DLF reports the best results from early-fall seeding, with late spring to early summer as a second choice, and says late-summer seedings need about six weeks before the first killing frost. Illinois gives a wider early-spring-to-late-summer window.
- Open up the lawn. Illinois recommends mowing at your lowest setting, raking and core aerating before seeding; no tilling is needed. Our overseeding guide and core aeration and overseeding cover the prep.
- Spread evenly. By hand for small areas, a broadcast spreader for larger ones.
- Keep it moist. Illinois says to water daily for the first 7 to 10 days until it sprouts.
- Hold off on weed control. Skip broadleaf herbicides while the clover establishes, and don’t pair this seeding with a broadleaf weed-and-feed.
Mowing, feeding and weed control
Mowing
Mow for the grass, not the clover. In a tall fescue or bluegrass mix, DLF suggests weekly mowing at 1 to 4 inches, or cutting back to 3 inches whenever the lawn reaches 4.5 inches. The Fairfax write-up uses 3.5 inches for tall fescue to help it compete with weeds. Regular mowing also keeps flowering down, which matters if bees in the lawn are a concern.
Fertilizer
This is where microclover pays for itself. UMD says its clippings can allow one fewer nitrogen application a year. The Fairfax summary of the UMD work estimates ‘Pirouette’ can cut a Mid-Atlantic tall fescue lawn’s yearly need by about 1 to 2 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft. DLF adds that about 1 lb of nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft in spring and early summer is usually enough to keep the grass and clover balanced, and that phosphorus and potassium should go down only when a soil test shows a shortage.
Weed control
Here the sources disagree, and the cautious reading wins. UMD and Illinois both say most broadleaf lawn herbicides will kill microclover. DLF’s guide says Microclover tolerates 2,4-D. Our own clover removal guide relies on products combining 2,4-D with triclopyr for exactly that job, so don’t count on any broadleaf product being clover-safe. If you must spot-spray a weed, use the narrowest product the label allows, spray only the weed, and accept some clover loss.
Microclover in winter and summer
Expect a seasonal look that differs from grass. In cold weather the leaves die back; UMD and Illinois both warn this can leave bare spots, and DLF says that in northern climates the leaves die back to the crown, which survives and regrows. The Fairfax write-up suggests checking in March, when the foliage returns, to see whether the clover needs overseeding. UMD also notes it starts to decline when cool-season grass goes dormant in summer heat.
Persistence is the other surprise. UMD and Illinois say it may need reseeding to stay in the lawn, and the Fairfax write-up puts its life in a lawn at about two to three years. Budget for a light overseeding every few years, which fits neatly into a fall aeration and overseeding routine.
Don’t put a broadleaf weed-and-feed on a microclover lawn.
Most broadleaf herbicides in lawn weed-and-feed products are designed to kill clover, and microclover is the same species. One routine spring application can undo the seeding. Decide before you plant: either you run a broadleaf weed program, or you keep clover and spot-pull or spot-treat individual weeds. Seeding microclover alone as a no-grass lawn is the other common misstep; the research behind it is about clover mixed with grass.
Microclover FAQs
Is micro clover the same as white clover?
Botanically, yes. Microclover is dwarf cultivars of white clover, Trifolium repens, such as ‘Pirouette’ and ‘Pipolina’. It has smaller leaves, fewer flowers and less clumping.
Does micro clover stay green in winter?
No. The leaves die back in cold weather and regrow from the crown in spring, which can leave thin or bare spots through winter.
How much micro clover seed per 1,000 sq ft?
When mixed into grass seed, about 3 to 5% of the grass seed weight. Over tall fescue seeded at 3.5 to 4.5 lb per 1,000 sq ft, that’s roughly 1.7 to 3.6 oz of clover per 1,000 sq ft.
Can I plant a micro clover lawn without grass?
It isn’t recommended. UMD found no research supporting it as a stand-alone lawn, and DLF doesn’t recommend pure clover stands; on its own it won’t take traffic and leaves bare ground in winter.
Will micro clover spread into flower beds?
It can creep. DLF suggests edging or borders along beds to keep it in the lawn.
Does micro clover attract bees?
It flowers less than standard white clover, and regular mowing removes most blooms, but any flowering clover will draw some bees.
Related guides
Sources: University of Maryland Extension: Lawns and Microclover (updated 2023) · University of Illinois Extension: Microclovers making a comeback (2022) · DLF: North America Microclover Management Guide · Fairfax County Master Gardeners: The Promise of a Low-Input Tall Fescue/Microclover Lawn (2023) · UMass: Seeding Rate Considerations · K-State: Fall Turfgrass Recommendations and Tips
