Even though the animal wildlife we saw in Alaska was phenomenal, there was also plenty of plant life to be seen as well. Most of the time I try to photograph native plants and animals, but sometimes I see something, especially a plant, that is not native but is so pretty that it needs photos. That was the case when we found this patch of clover growing in one of the parks we visited. White clover (Trifolium repens) is actually native to Europe, Asia, and parts of northern Africa while red clover (Trifolium pratense) is native to Europe, but both plants have been naturalized in the United States for a long time.

They were first brought here as livestock feed and as green manure because it can fix nitrogen from the environment and add it to the soil. It has also always been popular as a garden plant, but like so many imports, it has escaped as also colonized in the wild. It was pretty common in the Anchorage area since it tends to do well in cooler climates. We do have it in Florida as well, but it doesn’t seem to be as vibrant or grow in such thick patches as it did up there.