Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)
Red clover is also known as Cow grass, Purple clover (for obvious reasons) Meadow clover, and a variety of other names.
Description
This plant is one you will find in meadows growing in the wild with part of it started over in Europe but now you can find it in Asia and North America. The leaves are shaped ovalish and the flowers are usually a purplish to pink shade (If you have ever seen a chive flower it looks very similar to this). Though there are some who describe it as a red color but I personally have never seen this.
History/Lore
One of the most common theories as to how the clover got its name is due to the 3 leafed groupings on it. Hercules supposedly carried a three-headed club and in Latin the name for club is "Clava". So it may be the world clover eventually came from that "Clava".
Spiritual Uses
A common use for this herb is protection, which you can kind of figure out from the lore I just mentioned above. Other uses for it have been love, money and success to name a few. It can also be used to help clear out negative energy by making a tea from the flowers and sprinkling it around a room or home. There are those who also think that the red clover creates more "4 leaf clovers" than it white counter part but I have never myself found whether this is true or false.
Uses
The best part of this plant to use is the flowers though you can eat the leaves but it doesn't hold many healing properties to it. But the flower is know to help with chronic coughs, asthma, skin inflammations and, the most common and well known, is its use for treating women who are pre-menopausal to menopausal, for reducing hot flashes. There are a variety of ways to take this herb from herbal capsules to just eating it raw. (The bases of the flower petals have a sweet taste to them. As a child I use to go out and nibble on them while I played.) But my personal favorite is simple in tea form. I take a cup of tea when I am feeling extra achy or having a bad cough from bronchitis or a nasty cold.
Cautions
There are a few cautions and I feel that I should mention them here. Since Red Clover is helps with estrogen production it is said that anyone on hormone replacement, history of breast cancer (though this is argued point since some feel it helps combat breast cancer), on blood thinners should avoid red clover. I would highly recommend that you check with the doctor before you use it if you do have one of these.
Resources
My personal knowledge as well as:
The Way of Herbs by Michael Tierra, C.A., N.D.
The New Age Herbalist by Richard Mabey
There are a ton of resources also available the Internet.
*The information presented above does not intend to treat, diagnose or prescribe. Before using any herbal substance one should seek the advice of a doctor or physicians assistant.*
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