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Cover Crop Seed Looking for more than 200 lbs?
Berseem Clover Seed
Trifolium alexandrinum | SKU: PG-TRAL
What is Berseem Clover?
Berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum) is an annual legume in the pea family, originating from the Nile Valley and Mediterranean basin where it has been cultivated for over 5,000 years. It is also called Egyptian clover, a name that reflects its long history as a critical forage crop in Egypt and surrounding regions. In North America, it is planted primarily as a warm-season cover crop and double-cut hay alternative in zones 6-10, and as a summer nitrogen-fixer in zones 3-5 during the frost-free growing window. Berseem stands apart from other clovers in two important ways. First, it is the only clover that reliably does not cause bloat in grazing cattle — a property attributed to low levels of the saponins and rapidly-fermentable proteins that cause bloat in red and white clover. This makes it unique among nitrogen-fixing clovers for integrated grazing systems. Second, it establishes faster than virtually any other clover — germinating in 5-7 days and producing substantial biomass within 45 days of planting — making it useful in double-crop rotations and short cover crop windows.
Specifications
Seeding Specs
Water Needs Moderate
Soil Preference Well-drained loam; pH above 6.0 required; intolerant of waterlogging or heavy clay
Soil pH pH 6.0-7.5
Planting Depth 1/4 inch
Establishment Specs
Height 12-24 inches
Color White/cream flowers
Uses Cover Crop, Nitrogen Fixation, Forage, Pollinator Support
Native/Introduced Introduced — Mediterranean (Egypt/North Africa)
Why Choose This Seed?
No Bloat Risk
Berseem clover is widely regarded as one of the lowest-bloat clovers — no cases of bloat from grazing berseem have been reported. Frothy bloat in legumes like red clover, white clover, and alfalfa is driven mainly by rapidly-degradable soluble leaf proteins released when lush growth is grazed; berseem appears to carry a lower bloat risk than these species. That makes it a safer choice for grazing, though standard pasture-introduction practices still apply. For operations that integrate cover crops with cattle forage programs, this is a significant practical advantage.
Fast Establishment
Berseem clover germinates in 5-7 days under warm soil conditions (60°F+) and produces harvestable forage or substantial cover crop biomass within 45 days of planting. This makes it one of the fastest-establishing annual clovers available and suitable for short cover crop windows between cash crops — especially in double-crop systems in the Southeast and mid-South where time between harvest and next planting date is limited. It can be established as late as 45-60 days before the expected first frost and still produce meaningful nitrogen fixation and ground cover.
Nitrogen Fixation
Under optimal conditions with proper inoculation (Rhizobium trifolii), berseem clover fixes 100-200 lbs of nitrogen per acre over a full growing season. This is high for an annual clover and comparable to hairy vetch. The nitrogen is primarily in leaf and stem tissue and becomes available to the following crop within 2-4 weeks of incorporation. Like all legume nitrogen credits, the actual delivered amount depends on stand density, growing season length, termination timing, and soil temperature at incorporation — denser stands terminated at peak bloom will deliver the most.
Pollinator Value
Berseem clover produces abundant white to cream-colored flowers over a long bloom period, particularly in the second growth after the first cut. The flowers are highly accessible to honeybees and short-tongued native bees because of the shallow floral tube depth — unlike some clovers where nectar is out of reach for smaller pollinators. In farming operations that run honeybees or are concerned about native bee habitat, allowing a portion of the berseem stand to reach and sustain bloom is a low-cost way to provide high-quality mid-season forage during a period when other pollen sources may be limited.
Honest About Limitations
Berseem clover is not a cold-climate crop. It will not overwinter reliably below zone 8, and in zone 7 and colder winterkill is a virtual certainty — berseem is the least winter-hardy of the true annual clovers. In northern states, it functions only as a summer annual between cash crops — it has no place as a fall-planted overwintering cover crop in these regions. It performs poorly in soils with pH below 6.0 — establish a lime program before expecting good results in acidic soils. Heavy clay soils with poor drainage will limit establishment and yield significantly. It is an annual and must be replanted each season; it will not naturalize or reappear from a prior year's stand.
How to Plant Berseem Clover
Site Prep
Berseem clover requires a firm, fine seedbed and pH 6.0 or above — below this threshold, both germination and nitrogen fixation are impaired. Test your soil before planting; apply lime well ahead of planting if needed (lime requires 3-6 months to fully react in the soil). Remove heavy surface residue if broadcast planting. Berseem does not compete well against established weeds in its early stages — plan planting timing to follow a clean cash crop harvest or after a tillage event that reduces weed competition. It will close canopy and shade out weeds once established but is vulnerable in the first 2-3 weeks.
Seeding
Drill at 10-15 lbs/acre at 1/4 inch depth. Broadcast at 15-20 lbs/acre and lightly cultipack or incorporate to ensure soil contact — do not leave seed sitting on surface residue. Seed is small enough that a Brillion seeder or roller-packer combination works well for broadcast plantings. Inoculate with fresh Rhizobium trifolii (clover inoculant) before planting. Inoculated seed should be planted the same day. For combined forage-cover crop systems, berseem can be seeded alone or with a thin stand (20-30 lbs/acre) of oats as a companion nurse crop.
Establishment
Germination occurs in 5-7 days under warm soil conditions. Initial growth is rapid compared to other clovers — plants will be 4-6 inches tall within 2-3 weeks of emergence. The stand will close canopy and begin shading weeds within 30-40 days. If growing for double-cut forage, take the first cut at early bloom when plants are 18-24 inches tall. The stand will regrow from crown tissue and produce a second cut in 4-6 weeks. For pure cover crop use without grazing, allow to grow until termination.
Termination / Management
For nitrogen credit to the following crop, terminate berseem clover at early full bloom — this is when nitrogen content in the biomass peaks before carbon content increases with seed development. Incorporate within 24-48 hours of termination in warm weather to prevent nitrogen volatilization. Tillage, roller-crimping, or herbicide all work. Because berseem is an annual with relatively soft tissue, it kills easily with a roller-crimper at bloom. For double-cut forage systems, take the second cut before the stand goes fully to seed to maintain forage quality and reduce volunteer seed bank buildup.
Helpful Resources
Cover Crop Planting Guide
Annual Clover Cover Crops: A Comparison Guide
Questions & Answers
Is berseem clover really safe for cattle without bloat risk?
Yes — this is one of berseem's most documented agronomic properties and it holds up in practice. Multiple forage trials, including work from University of California and USDA, confirm that berseem does not cause frothy bloat in cattle under normal grazing conditions. The mechanism is not fully understood but is attributed to the composition of berseem's soluble proteins and low tannin-saponin profile. That said, any lush green forage can cause digestive upset if animals overeat after a period without access — introduce cattle to berseem stands gradually as you would any new pasture. The zero-bloat property is real, but it does not mean unmanaged access without any transition period.
What inoculant does berseem clover need?
Berseem needs Rhizobium trifolii — the same inoculant strain used for red clover, white clover, and most other true clovers. If you've grown crimson clover, red clover, or white clover in the same field within the past 3-5 years with good nodulation, the native Rhizobium population may be sufficient. If not, use fresh inoculant. The inoculant should be specific to berseem or listed as compatible with Trifolium species. Hairy vetch inoculant and soybean inoculant use different Rhizobium strains and will not work for berseem.
Will berseem clover overwinter?
Not reliably, no. Berseem clover dies when exposed to temperatures below about 20°F for several days; it tolerates light frost but winterkills in zone 7 and colder. In zones 8-10, a mild winter may allow it to persist as what is effectively a cool-season annual, but plan to replant rather than count on overwintering. The appropriate expectation is: berseem is a warm-season annual that does its work during the frost-free growing season. In warm climates that is a long window. In northern climates it is a shorter one, and managing plantings to make full use of the available frost-free days is the key to getting value from it.
Is berseem clover good for bees?
Yes. Berseem clover is one of the best bee forages among annual clovers, and it has the advantage of producing flowers that are accessible to a wider range of bee species than deeper-tubed clovers like red clover. Honeybees work berseem heavily, and short-tongued native bees — including many ground-nesting sweat bees and small mining bees — can access the nectar that they cannot reach in red clover. If you're growing berseem primarily as a cover crop but your farm is near beehives or in an area with conservation interest in native bees, allowing some of the stand to persist through bloom before terminating is worth doing.
Can berseem clover fit into a double-crop system?
Berseem clover is one of the best clovers for short double-crop windows. In the Southeast, it can be seeded immediately after small grain harvest (mid-June to July) and will establish, fix nitrogen, and provide either a forage cut or be terminated before fall cash crop planting. In California's Central Valley, it is a traditional double-crop and can produce two full cuttings in a single season. The key constraint is ensuring at least 60-70 frost-free days after planting — less than that and the stand won't have time to fix meaningful nitrogen before termination or frost kills it.
What happens if my soil pH is below 6.0?
In truly acid soils (pH 5.5 or below), berseem clover will establish poorly and nodulate poorly even with fresh inoculant, because Rhizobium bacteria are also pH-sensitive. Between pH 5.5 and 6.0, results are inconsistent — some farmers get reasonable stands, others don't. Below 5.5, expect failure. The practical answer: if your pH is below 6.0, lime first and plant berseem afterward. If you can't lime in time for this season's planting, choose a more acid-tolerant cover crop option — crimson clover or hairy vetch will perform better in moderately acid soils.
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