Clover in the Lawn: Weed to Remove or Ground Cover to Keep

Whether it belongs in your lawn depends on what you want from the yard, and on what the clover is telling you about your soil.

At TurnKey Lawn Care, weed control and lawn feeding are part of the care we provide across the metro. If you’d like help deciding what to do about the clover in your yard, request a free estimate and we’ll walk through the options with you.

This guide covers how to identify white clover, why it shows up, the honest case for keeping it and for removing it in a New Orleans lawn, and how to control it if you decide it has to go.

How to identify white clover

Why clover shows up

LSU describes white clover as typically an indicator of low nitrogen fertility. It also notes the plant can tolerate dry, compacted soils. That combination explains where it tends to appear in a New Orleans yard:

• Lawns that haven’t been fed in a season or two, where the grass is pale and thinning
• Compacted strips along walkways, driveways and play areas
• Raised or sandy spots that dry out quickly between rains
• Areas where the grass is mowed too short to hold its ground

In other words, clover moves in where the lawn grass is losing the competition. Treating the clover without fixing the soil fertility usually leaves the door open for it, or for another weed, to come right back.

The case for keeping it

Clover has real benefits, and an article from UF/IFAS Extension lays them out clearly. White clover forms a partnership with nitrogen-fixing bacteria, allowing it to turn nitrogen from the air into a form plants can use. The same article describes clover as excellent forage for pollinators, noting that bees, butterflies and other pollinators love its nectar. It also says clover requires minimal care compared with a traditional lawn and never needs fertilizing. For a homeowner who wants a lower-input yard, a pollinator-friendly corner, or simply doesn’t mind a mixed lawn, clover can be a reasonable thing to leave alone. It also copes with conditions that trouble lawn grass. LSU notes it tolerates dry, compacted soil, so it can hold on in a worn strip beside a path where St. Augustine has given up.

The case against it in a New Orleans lawn

Our climate is where clover’s appeal gets complicated. The same UF/IFAS article notes that in Florida, white clover thrives in cooler temperatures but tends to wither and die off during the hotter months. It adds that clover does best in well-drained, fertile soil with constant moisture in a temperate climate, a combination that’s rare on the Gulf Coast. LSU classifies white clover as a perennial in Louisiana, so it doesn’t vanish every year, but summer heat is hard on it here. That leaves a lawn that looks green and full in spring and patchy by late summer, which isn’t what most people want. Practical downsides to weigh:

• A mixed, uneven look against St. Augustine’s broad blades
• Flowers that draw bees to areas where children or pets play barefoot
• Patches that thin out in summer heat, leaving gaps for other weeds
• Its role as a sign that the lawn grass itself is underfed

Here’s a side-by-side summary to help you decide:

Question	Keep the clover	Remove the clover
How you want the yard to look	You’re comfortable with a mixed, informal lawn	You want an even stand of St. Augustine or another warm-season grass
Pollinators	You’d like more forage for bees and butterflies	Bees near play areas are a concern
Upkeep	You’d rather feed and treat less	You’re happy to follow a feeding and mowing plan
Summer appearance	You accept patchier areas in heat	You want consistent coverage through summer

How to remove clover if you want it gone

Because clover points to low nitrogen, the lasting fix starts with feeding the grass properly. Herbicides can clear existing patches, but a well-fed, correctly mowed lawn is what keeps them from returning. A practical order:

1. Test the soil. A soil test tells you what the lawn actually needs, including pH, before you add anything.
2. Feed at the right annual rate. LSU gives up to 3 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet per year for St. Augustine and Bermuda, and up to 2 pounds for centipede and zoysia.
3. Raise the mower to the right height. LSU recommends 2.5 to 3 inches for St. Augustine, and lower ranges for other grasses.
4. Treat existing patches. LSU lists atrazine, simazine, metsulfuron, trifloxysulfuron, dicamba and quinclorac as effective active ingredients, and the product label has to cover your grass type.
5. Relieve compaction. Aerate compacted strips while the lawn is actively growing so the grass can root in and compete.

Here are the LSU figures in one place:

Lawn grass	Mowing height	Nitrogen per 1,000 sq ft per year
St. Augustine	2.5 to 3 inches	Up to 3 pounds
Bermuda	1 to 2 inches	Up to 3 pounds
Centipede	1 to 2.5 inches	Up to 2 pounds
Zoysia	1 to 2.5 inches	Up to 2 pounds

Our page on lawn fertilization in New Orleans covers how we schedule feedings through the year, and our guide to getting rid of weeds in your lawn covers broadleaf weeds more generally.

What clover tells you about the rest of the yard

Even if you don’t mind clover, it’s worth reading as a signal. LSU’s description of it as an indicator of low nitrogen fertility means the grass around it is probably underfed too, and an underfed lawn is weaker against chinch bugs, disease and other weeds. Look at where the clover is thickest. If it clusters along paths and play areas, compaction is likely part of the story. If it’s spread across the whole lawn, the feeding schedule is the more likely cause. A soil test answers the question properly. It shows whether the lawn is short on nitrogen, off on pH or missing something else, which is far more useful than guessing and spreading a general-purpose fertilizer. Our page on soil testing and pH balancing explains how that works for New Orleans lawns. Fixing the fertility usually shrinks the clover on its own over a season or two, because St. Augustine that’s properly fed spreads faster and shades the clover out. That’s why feeding comes before herbicide in the steps above.

If you decide to keep some clover

Keeping clover doesn’t have to mean giving up on the lawn. You can let it stay in one area and keep the rest of the yard in grass. A few ways to make that work:

• Confine it to a side yard, back corner or pollinator strip, and keep the front lawn fed and dense
• Edge beds and walks cleanly so the clover area looks intentional
• Mow the clover area on the same schedule as the lawn so it doesn’t flower in high-traffic spots
• Expect patchy growth in the peak of summer and plan to accept it

If you want a genuinely low-input area rather than a mixed lawn, native plantings may be a better long-term fit than clover in our heat. Our guide to native Louisiana plants for landscaping covers options that handle Gulf Coast summers.

Frequently asked questions