Red Clover!

I finally have Red Clover growing in my gardens! I am so happy. I have tried ever since we moved here to get some to grow~we have tons of white clover, but no red. I gathered some seeds last year and tossed them around on the back bank, and tada! Beautiful, glorious Red Clover!

Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) is one of the best detoxification herbs and respiratory tonics, red clover is especially useful for easing chronic chest complaints such as coughs, colds, and bronchitis. Red Clover is rich in minerals, most notably calcium, nitrogen, and iron. It is used for all skin conditions, as it is an excellent detoxifier or blood purifier. It is commonly used in anti tumor formulas. It is mentioned as a folk cancer remedy in Jethro Kloss's Back to Eden. It is one of the ingredients in Hoxsy, a formula used at alternative cancer clinics in Mexico.

Red Clover is found in pastures and gardens. Leaves are trefoil shape, sometimes mottled with a paler shade. Flowers are purple-pink (not really red) globes and are richly honey-scented. Considered by herbalists as being a Goddess-given remedy. A pleasant tasting herb,red clover is beneficial to young and old.

Red Clover flowers are the part most often used, although the leaves are beneficial too. A small amount of the flowers may b eaten raw, shredded into a salad. Make red clover tea by infusing a heaped teaspoonful of the flowers in water just off the boil, allowing to steep well and then sweeten with honey. Red Clover makes a delicious tea. Blend it with other herbs, such as mullein, for persistent respiratory problems. In addition, you can use the tea for building blood and improving the skin. The tea or tincture can be used when there are growths on the body such as cysts, tumors, and fibroids.

Caution: Hemophiliacs or people with "thin" blood should not use red clover regularly, as the herb can exacerbate the condition.

*Sources: The Family Herbal, Common Herbs for Natural Health, 101 Medicinal Herbs*