It's a flower. It, a legume. It's several kinds of medicine. It's flour to bake with, an infusion to sip, something to kick up the nitrogen in your soil, it, ... (drumroll, please)... Red Clover!
                         ----Leda Meredith, Foraging Red Clover for Medicine and Food, article in Mother Earth
 
Common Name:         Red Clover 
Botanical Name:         Trifoloium prafense 
Parts Used:                  flowering tops and leaves                                                     
                                                                                   
Prolific and nutritious like its cousin, nettles, red clover is a very common, very beneficial herb. It is rich in calcium, nitrogen, iron, and other valuable nutrients including chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C.  Its similarity to legumes makes it hard to digest, so one is better off taking it as a tea or tincture. The slightly sweet flowers, however, may be eaten raw  in small quantities-- try pulling the tiny florets from the flower head and add them to salads or mint iced tea in the summer, or press them into icing.
 
Red clover is one of the best alteratives— supporting detoxification of the blood, and it works beneficially on the all the tissues of the body to restore balance. Experienced herbalists know that a tea of red clover, burdock and nettles is the "go-to" formula for a multitude of health complaints, including a common cold, low energy, repeated infections from an overtaxed immune system, emotional struggles and more.
       
It is an excellent detoxifier to use when treating a build-up of chemicals in the bloodstream, as is commonly needed when eliminating all food additives from the system of children being treated for hyperactivity.
       
Red clover is useful for all skin conditions and is often used in anti-tumor formulas, as it is anti-neoplastic. The tea or tincture can be used when there are any growths on the body such as cysts, tumors or fibroids. Red clover has long been used to combat cancer, as it has an affect on protein assimilation.
       
An admirable all-around respiratory tonic, Red Clover's expectorant and anti-spasmodic qualities make it excellent for both adults and kids with chronic chest complaints, such as coughs, colds and bronchitis.
       
A potent anti-inflammatory, Red Clover will also help reduce fever. As a topical aid, red clover is often an ingredient in balms, for relieving the pain of eczema and psoriasis, and for sores and burns. For eczema (particularly childhood eczema), a tea of equal parts of figwort, nettles and red clover, taken three times a day, can provide significant relief.
       
YOU MIGHT LIKE TO TRY:

Red Clover Tea

A pleasant-tasting, nutritious and healthy red clover tea may be made by harvesting bunches of clover flower heads, drying them on cookie sheets for several days, then making an infusion or tea. Use approximately 2 t of the dried flowers to 1 cup of boiling water, and let it steep, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes. Drink up to three cups per day for an overall nutrition boost, and to help clear any respiratory ailment.
       

Red Clover Blossom Bread

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a baking sheet, or line with parchment paper.
       
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (pastry flour makes this bread more tender. If you can't get whole wheat pastry flour, use a mix of half all-purpose and half whole wheat flours)
       
1/2 cup dried red clover blossoms 

1 t baking powder

1 t baking soda 
 
1/2 t salt
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2 t caraway seeds
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1 egg
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2/3 cup buttermilk
​
1/4 cup melted butter, plus one more tablespoon reserved for brushing on finished loaf
       
1 T honey
       
1. Whisk the dry ingredients, including the dried red clover florets together in a large bowl. The florets need to be broken up before whisking with the other ingredients. This can be done by rubbing them together between your fingers. 
       
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.
       
3. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ones. Stir to incorporate the flour. Don't stir too much though—it's okay if there is still a little dry flour here and there, and for this dough lumpy is good. You want the dough to still be somewhat soft and sticky, but coherent enough that you can shape it into a loaf. If the dough seems too goopy, add more flour a little at a time. I sometimes need to add as much as 1/3 c. additional flour. Some cracks on top are okay and actually make the finished loaf more attractive in a rustic way.
       
4. Scrape the dough out onto your baking sheet. Shape it into a disk approximately five to six inches in diameter
     
5. Bake 25-35 minutes until golden. While still hot, brush with remaining tablespoon of butter. Let cool on a rack.
       
CAUTION: Make sure that whenever you are harvesting a common plant such as clover or dandelion from your yard or other location, that the site has not been sprayed with pesticides or herbicides. NEVER harvest these plants from the roadsides, which are often sprayed heavily.
       
Contraindications, if any: Hemophiliacs or people with "thin blood," such as those on anticoagulant drugs like Coumadin, should not use red clover regularly as the blood may become too thin.