The Ultimate Guide to Food Plot Clovers

Clovers are the backbone of many wildlife food plots because they’re high in protein, highly palatable, and—being legumes—help build soil by fixing nitrogen. The trick is choosing the right clover (or blend) for your goals: quick attraction, long-term perennial plots, poor soils, wet pockets, heavy browsing pressure, or adding pollinator value.

Below is a guide to the clovers currently listed for sale on Hale Habitat & Seed, with a practical compare/contrast for wildlife nutrition, plot longevity, and habitat outcomes.

Quick “Which Clover Should I Plant?” Cheat Sheet

• Want a fast, forgiving annual that pumps out forage quickly?
  • Berseem Clover (quick growth)
  • Crimson Clover (classic fall/winter annual; great cover + spring punch)
• Want a dependable perennial plot that can last multiple seasons?
  • Ladino White Clover (low-growing, handles grazing, spreads)
  • Medium Red Clover (more upright, strong biomass)
• Need cold-hardy late winter / early spring forage?
  • Balansa Clover (noted for late winter–spring value)
• Want “set it and forget it” longevity and resilience?
  • Kura Clover Blend (rhizomes = persistence; nurse crop included)
• Want a “one-bag” clover solution with both annual + perennial coverage?
  • Completely Clover blend

The Habitat Clovers & What Each Does Best

1) Ladino White Clover

Type: Perennial white clover
Best for: Long-term plots, heavy browsing areas, “carpet” ground cover

Ladino is a food-plot staple because it’s very palatable, tends to tolerate grazing pressure, and spreads along the ground (stolons) to keep filling in the plot. It’s especially strong in cool/moist conditions and is a great “base clover” for perennial blends.

Seeding-rate reference: 6 lb/ac broadcast, 4 lb/ac drilled (Hale Habitat & Seed)

2) Medium Red Clover

Type: Perennial
Best for: More tonnage, adding structure/height, mixing with white clover

Medium red clover typically grows more upright than ladino, helping provide more biomass and often bridging the gap while perennial whites thicken up. It’s a strong choice for deer and pollinators, and it’s commonly used as a “workhorse” in perennial mixtures.

Seeding-rate reference: 15 lb/ac broadcast, 8 lb/ac drilled (Hale Habitat & Seed)

3) Crimson Clover

Type: Cool-season annual / winter annual
Best for: Fast fall establishment, spring green-up, cover-crop function, diversity

Crimson is a classic for fall plantings where you want quick establishment and strong spring performance (often used as a cover crop too). University extension sources commonly note drilled rates around the mid-teens and broadcast rates in the 20s (lb/ac), depending on conditions and mixtures.

Seeding-rate reference: 30 lb/ac broadcast, 18 lb/ac drilled (Hale Habitat & Seed)

4) Berseem Clover

Type: Annual clover
Best for: Rapid forage, quick “green” plots, adding tonnage to blends

Berseem is a “get it up and growing” clover—fast establishment and high forage potential. It’s great when you want a quick, temporary food plot or you want to boost early forage while perennials are still developing.

Seeding-rate reference: 25 lb/ac broadcast, 14 lb/ac drilled (Hale Habitat & Seed)

5) Balansa Clover

Type: Typically managed as an annual (can behave as a reseeding annual in some systems)
Best for: Cold-hardiness, late winter/early spring forage, diversity + pollinators

Balansa is valued for cold-season performance and strong nutrition during times when other forages can be limited. It also adds pollinator value when it blooms and helps improve soil via nitrogen fixation.

Seeding-rate reference: 8 lb/ac broadcast, 5 lb/ac drilled (Hale Habitat & Seed)

6) Kura Clover Blend

Type: Premium perennial blend
What makes it different: Kura spreads via underground rhizomes, which is a big reason it’s known for persistence. Hale’s blend is designed with a “nurse crop” approach: red clover provides forage early while kura establishes.

Blend contents: 47% kura, 43% medium red, 10% birdsfoot trefoil (Hale Habitat & Seed)

Hale Clover Blends: When a Mix Beats a Straight Clover

Completely Clover (blend)

If you want one product that gives both fast annual performance and perennial longevity, a blend can keep forage coming across more of the calendar and hedge against weather. Completely Clover includes Balansa, Berseem, Crimson, Ladino White, and Medium Red. (Hale Habitat & Seed)

Clovers, Alfalfa, & Chicory Food Plot Mix

This is a perennial nutrition blend designed for maximum deer nutrition and a long season of use. It includes Medium Red Clover, Alfalfa, Ladino White Clover, and Chicory, balancing clover palatability with deep-rooted, drought-leaning components (alfalfa/chicory). (Hale Habitat & Seed)

Compare & Contrast for Wildlife Food Plots and Habitat

Annual clovers (Crimson, Berseem, & Balansa)

• Pros
  • Quick establishment and attraction (especially when timed for fall/spring windows)
  • Great for “rotation” plots and soil improvement between other plantings
  • Often excellent companions with grains/brassicas
• Cons
  • Usually not your longest-lived stand; many will winter-kill or fade after their cycle, meaning you’ll replant more often
  • Weed control and timing matter more because you’re relying on establishment speed

Perennial clovers (Ladino White, Medium Red, Kura blend)

• Pros
  • Multi-year plot potential and steadier forage once established
  • Better “habitat function” as persistent ground cover (soil armor, insects, edge use)
• Cons
  • Typically need better early weed management and patience during establishment
  • Some perennial types can be stressed by drought/poor fertility if not managed

Planting Notes You Can Use in the Field

• Seed shallow. Clover is small seed—think ¼ to ½ inch depth (or cultipack after broadcasting).
• Use the right seeding rate. Hale’s seeding-rate guide provides broadcast vs drilled targets for each clover type.
• Time matters. Crimson, for example, is commonly recommended as a winter annual planted roughly 6–8 weeks before average first frost for overwintering performance.
• Soil test = better plots. Many clovers perform best near neutral pH and with adequate P & K.

Bottom Line

If you want the simplest, most effective approach for most properties:

• Build a perennial base with Ladino + Medium Red (or a perennial mix) for longevity and consistent attraction.
• Add annual clovers like Crimson/Berseem/Balansa when you want extra seasonal punch, faster early forage, and more resilience across variable weather years.
• If you want maximum persistence and a premium long-term stand, consider Kura Clover Blend for its rhizome-driven staying power.