Common Buckeye

Recently while walking across my yard, I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of a common buckeye, bumblebee and honeybee visiting the white flowers blooming in a small island of white clover growing in the green sea of grass growing between my home office and barn.

Stumbling across these insects moving from flower to flower was a gentle reminder that, in spite of the fact that many consider white clover to be nothing more than a lawn weed, it can be important to a wide range of wild pollinators such as bees and butterflies.  In fact, in many yards it can be a major source of food.

In addition, white clover serves as a host plant for a number of moths and both the clouded and orange sulphur butterflies.

Realizing this, I will often refrain from mowing a few small patches of white clover until the plants have stopped blooming. I view this as an easy, inexpensive way to add a little bit of habitat diversity to my yard.