Crimson Clover Flower Seeds

The hills of the north Willamette Valley are beautiful in mid-May, when the crimson clover fields bloom scarlet red. Crimson clover is an annual, grown only for the seed here, not for the forage. Crimson clover is planted as soon as the fall rains start, usually in late September or early October, and the crimson clover seed is harvested in early July.

Crimson clover flowers open from the bottom of the flower head to the top. Growers hope for cool, cloudy days during the bloom period, so the flowers will open more slowly, giving the bees plenty of time to visit each one. If the weather is hot and sunny, all the blooms open at once, and not every flower gets pollinated, making the seed yield lower.