Family: Fabaceae
Author: Medik.
Bibliography: Vorles. Churpfälz. Phys.-Ökon. Ges. 2: 382 (1787)
Year: 1787
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Melilotus
Vegetable: False
Observations: Europe to China, N. Africa to Myanmar, Ethiopia to S. Africa
Description
White sweet-clover, scientifically known as Melilotus albus, is a fascinating and versatile plant belonging to the Fabaceae family. First described by botanist Friedrich Kasimir Medikus in 1787 in the publication “Vorles. Churpfälz. Phys.-Ökon. Ges. 2: 382,” this species has since captured the interest of botanists and ecologists across the globe.
Melilotus albus is characterized by its erect, branching stems that can reach heights of up to 1.5 meters, making it a prominent figure in many natural landscapes. One of the most distinguishing features of this plant is its fragrant white flowers, which cluster together in racemes, hence its common name, White sweet-clover. These flowers typically bloom from late spring to early autumn, offering a valuable source of nectar for a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies.
The species boasts a remarkably wide native range, spanning from Europe to China and extending from North Africa to Myanmar. It is also found in various regions of Ethiopia and as far south as South Africa. This extensive distribution underlines the plant’s adaptability to various climates and soil types, highlighting its resilience and ecological importance.
White sweet-clover is often found in disturbed areas such as roadsides, fields, and riverbanks, where it serves several ecological functions. It plays a critical role in soil improvement due to its ability to fix nitrogen, thus enriching the soil and supporting the growth of other plants. This ability stems from symbiotic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria found within its root nodules.
Moreover, the plant’s deep root system helps prevent soil erosion, making it a suitable candidate for land reclamation projects. Its rapid growth and adaptability also make it an excellent choice for green manure, where plant material is plowed back into the soil to enhance fertility.
Despite its benefits, White sweet-clover can become invasive in certain habitats, outcompeting native species and altering local ecosystems. Therefore, its management and use should be carefully considered to balance ecological benefits with potential drawbacks.
In summary, Melilotus albus, or White sweet-clover, is a versatile and ecologically beneficial plant with a wide native range from Europe to China and across various parts of Africa. Its nitrogen-fixing ability, contribution to soil stabilization, and attractiveness to pollinators highlight its value in various environmental contexts, despite the need for careful management to prevent invasiveness.
Common Names
Eng: bokhara clover, bokhara-clover, honey-clover, hubam clover, white melilot, white sweet clover, white sweet-clover, white sweetclover, white-sweet-clover,-white-melilot,-hubam-clover, honey clover
Deu: bokharaklee, weisser honigklee, weißer steinklee
Dan: hvid stenkløver
Fra: mélilot blanc, trèfle d’odeur
Ara: handaquq, nafal
Ces: komonica biela, komonice bílá
Ita: meliloto bianco
Spa: meliloto blanco, meliloto-branco
Por: meliloto-branco
Swe: vit sötväppling
Nld: witte honingklaver
Sme: vilgesmiehtaluovvar
Cym: meillion tair dalen gwyn, meillionen tair dalen wen, yr wydro wen
En: White sweet-clover, Bokhara-clover, Honey-clover, White melilot, Bokhara Clover, Hubam Clover, White Sweet Clover, White sweetclover, White-sweet-clover,-white-melilot,-hubam-clover, Honey clover, Biennial Bokhara Clover, Sweet clover
Ar: Nafal, Handaquq, حندقوق, Hangquq, Naful
Ca: Melilot blanc
Zh: Bai hua cao mu xi
Cs: Komonica biela, Komonice bílá
Da: Hvid stenkløver
Nl: Witte honingklaver, Reuzenhoningklaver
Fr: Mélilot blanc, Trèfle d’odeur, Melilot blanc
De: Weißer Steinklee, Bokharaklee, Weisser Honigklee, Weißer Honigklee, Steinklee, Weiße Steinklee
It: Meliloto bianco
Ja: Shirobana-shinagawa-hagi
Ko: Huinjeondongssari
Se: Vilgesmiehtaluovvar
Pt: Meliloto-branco, Meliloto Branco
Sk: Komonica biela
Es: Meliloto blanco, Meliloto-branco, Trébol de olor blanco, Trébol de santa María, Meliloto, Melilotus albus, Trebol de olor
Sv: Vit sötväppling
Cy: Meillion Tair Dalen Gwyn, Meillionen Tair Dalen Wen, Yr Wydro Wen
Synonyms
- Melilotus giganteus (Trautv.)
- Melilotus rugulosus (Trautv.)
- Trifolium melilotus (Georgi)
- Melilotus tenellus (Wallr.)
- Melilotus officinalis var. albus (Mérat)
- Trigonella alba ((Medik.) Coulot & Rabaute)
- Melilotus leucanthus (W.D.J.Koch ex DC.)
- Melilotus albus f. prolifer (Dore)
- Melilotus officinalis subsp. albus ((Medik.) H.Ohashi & Tateishi)
- Melilotus albus var. macrocarpus (Rupr.)
- Melilotus vulgaris (Willd.)
- Melilotus albus var. argutus ((Rchb.) Rouy)
- Melilotus vulgaris var. gigantea (Gaudin)
- Melilotus urbanii (O.E.Schulz)
- Melilotus vulgaris var. minor (Gaudin)
- Melilotus argutus (Rchb.)
- Melilotus angulatus (Trautv.)
- Melilotus kotschyi (O.E.Schulz)
- Medicago alba (E.H.L.Krause)
- Melilotus melanospermus (Besser ex Ser.)
- Sertula alba ((Medik.) Kuntze)
- Melilotus arboreus (Castagne ex Ser.)
- Melilotus strictus (Trautv.)
Distribution
- Afghanistan (native)
- Albania (native)
- Algeria (native)
- Altay (native)
- Assam (native)
- Austria (native)
- Baltic States (native)
- Bangladesh (native)
- Belarus (native)
- Bulgaria (native)
- Cape Provinces (native)
- Central European Rus (native)
- China North-Central (native)
- China South-Central (native)
- China Southeast (native)
- Cyprus (native)
- Czechoslovakia (native)
- East European Russia (native)
- East Himalaya (native)
- Egypt (native)
- Ethiopia (native)
- France (native)
- Free State (native)
- Germany (native)
- Greece (native)
- Gulf States (native)
- Hungary (native)
- Inner Mongolia (native)
- Iran (native)
- Iraq (native)
- Italy (native)
- Kazakhstan (native)
- Kenya (native)
- Kirgizstan (native)
- Krasnoyarsk (native)
- Krym (native)
- KwaZulu-Natal (native)
- Lebanon-Syria (native)
- Lesotho (native)
- Libya (native)
- Manchuria (native)
- Mozambique (native)
- Myanmar (native)
- Namibia (native)
- Nepal (native)
- North Caucasus (native)
- Northern Provinces (native)
- Northwest European R (native)
- Oman (native)
- Pakistan (native)
- Palestine (native)
- Poland (native)
- Portugal (native)
- Romania (native)
- Saudi Arabia (native)
- Sinai (native)
- South European Russi (native)
- Spain (native)
- Switzerland (native)
- Tadzhikistan (native)
- Tanzania (native)
- Tibet (native)
- Transcaucasus (native)
- Turkey (native)
- Turkey-in-Europe (native)
- Turkmenistan (native)
- Ukraine (native)
- Uzbekistan (native)
- West Himalaya (native)
- West Siberia (native)
- Xinjiang (native)
- Yemen (native)
- Yugoslavia (native)
- Zimbabwe (native)
- Alabama (introduced)
- Amur (introduced)
- Angola (introduced)
- Argentina Northeast (introduced)
- Argentina Northwest (introduced)
- Argentina South (introduced)
- Bahamas (introduced)
- Belgium (introduced)
- Bolivia (introduced)
- Brazil South (introduced)
- Brazil Southeast (introduced)
- Buryatiya (introduced)
- California (introduced)
- Canary Is. (introduced)
- Chile Central (introduced)
- Chile North (introduced)
- Chile South (introduced)
- Chita (introduced)
- Colombia (introduced)
- Colorado (introduced)
- Denmark (introduced)
- Dominican Republic (introduced)
- Ecuador (introduced)
- Finland (introduced)
- Great Britain (introduced)
- Hawaii (introduced)
- Idaho (introduced)
- Illinois (introduced)
- India (introduced)
- Irkutsk (introduced)
- Jamaica (introduced)
- Japan (introduced)
- Kentucky (introduced)
- Khabarovsk (introduced)
- Korea (introduced)
- Labrador (introduced)
- Madeira (introduced)
- Maryland (introduced)
- Mauritius (introduced)
- Mexico Northwest (introduced)
- Mexico Southwest (introduced)
- Minnesota (introduced)
- Mongolia (introduced)
- Morocco (introduced)
- Netherlands (introduced)
- Nevada (introduced)
- New Caledonia (introduced)
- New Mexico (introduced)
- New South Wales (introduced)
- New Zealand North (introduced)
- New Zealand South (introduced)
- Newfoundland (introduced)
- North European Russi (introduced)
- Norway (introduced)
- Oregon (introduced)
- Paraguay (introduced)
- Peru (introduced)
- Primorye (introduced)
- Puerto Rico (introduced)
- Queensland (introduced)
- Réunion (introduced)
- Sakhalin (introduced)
- South Australia (introduced)
- Sweden (introduced)
- Tasmania (introduced)
- Tennessee (introduced)
- Texas (introduced)
- Tuva (introduced)
- Uruguay (introduced)
- Vermont (introduced)
- Victoria (introduced)
- Washington (introduced)
- Western Australia (introduced)
- Wisconsin (introduced)
- Yakutskiya (introduced)
Additional Images
Flower
Taken Oct 17, 2017 by Pep Secem (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 17, 2017 by Pep Secem (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 20, 2017 by Pep Secem (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 24, 2019 by jid (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 30, 2019 by Ioana Pupazan (cc-by-sa)
Habit
Taken Jul 7, 2022 by Fabrice Rubio (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 3, 2021 by Jacques Zuber (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 25, 2022 by Kai Best (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 25, 2020 by Llandrich anna (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 7, 2022 by Gaël Covain (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken Sep 5, 2014 by Tela Botanica − Liliane Roubaudi (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 27, 2019 by Mihai Ionita (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 27, 2019 by Mihai Ionita (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 4, 2022 by Tristan Jaton-Maria (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 25, 2020 by Llandrich anna (cc-by-sa)
Leaf
Taken Dec 11, 2021 by Jardin Des Cocagnous (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 25, 2020 by Llandrich anna (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 25, 2022 by Kai Best (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 7, 2022 by Gaël Covain (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 17, 2017 by Pep Secem (cc-by-sa)
Bark
Taken Jul 21, 2021 by E. F. P. C. (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 4, 2022 by Tristan Jaton-Maria (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 25, 2020 by Llandrich anna (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 25, 2020 by Llandrich anna (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 7, 2022 by Gaël Covain (cc-by-sa)
Other
Taken Jul 27, 2014 by Tela Botanica − Jean-Luc Gorremans (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 11, 2014 by Tela Botanica − Henri SCORDIA (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 12, 2015 by Tela Botanica − Vincent.P (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 25, 2021 by Adrien Broni (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 8, 2021 by Philippe Bissières (cc-by-sa)
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/2971095)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:156656-2)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Melilotus albus Medik.)
Specifications
Growth form: Single Crown
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth
Ph maximum: 8.0
Ph minimum: 6.5
Light: 9
Atmospheric humidity: 4
Bloom months: [‘jun’, ‘jul’, ‘aug’, ‘sep’]
Soil nutriments: 5