How to get rid of clover in lawn grass

Contents

1. Is it really clover? White clover and its look-alikes
2. Why does clover take over a yard?
3. How do I get rid of clover in grass without chemicals?
4. What kills clover but not grass?
5. When and how should you spray clover?
6. Should you keep clover instead? Clover lawns and microclover
7. Common mistakes with clover
8. FAQ

Is it really clover? White clover and its look-alikes

The clover in most US lawns is white clover (Trifolium repens), also called Dutch white clover or common clover. Each leaf has three oval leaflets, often with a pale, upside-down V (a “watermark”) across each one. The round white flower heads, about ½ to ¾ inch across, show up mostly in late spring and early summer. The plant spreads by stolons, creeping stems that root as they run along the soil, which is why it forms patches instead of single plants.

Two weeds are often mistaken for clover and need a different plan:

• Oxalis (wood sorrel) has heart-shaped leaflets with a clear notch at the tip and small yellow flowers. See how to identify oxalis.
• Black medic looks like a small clover with tiny yellow flower clusters; the middle leaflet sits on a slightly longer stalk than the other two.

If you are not sure, run the plant through our weed identification guide first. Clover is one of the broadleaf weeds covered in the complete guide to lawn weeds.

Why does clover take over a yard?

Clover is a legume. Bacteria in nodules on its roots turn nitrogen from the air into a form the plant can use, so clover keeps growing where grass is hungry. University extension services consistently point to the same causes of clover-heavy yards:

• Low nitrogen. Underfed lawns are where large clover patches form. This is the number-one signal.
• Thin turf. Stolons creep into any gap between grass plants.
• Mowing too short. Low-cut grass lets light reach the soil and the low clover leaves.
• The wrong grass for the site. Turf that struggles in your sun, soil or climate leaves room for clover.

Clover grows best in full sun but will also fill partly shaded areas.

How do I get rid of clover in grass without chemicals?

1. Dig out small patchesWater the area the day before, then loosen the soil with a hand fork and lift the plant along with its runners. Any stolon left behind can root again, so follow each stem to its end.
2. Feed the lawnBecause clover thrives on low nitrogen, regular fertilizing at the rate for your grass type is the main long-term fix. For cool-season lawns, extension guidance puts most of the year’s nitrogen in fall, in a September and a November feeding.
3. Mow higherCool-season lawns do best at 3 to 3½ inches; warm-season lawns at the upper end of the range for their grass. Taller grass shades low clover leaves.
4. Overseed thin spotsFill gaps after removing clover so seeds and runners have no room to move back in. Use a grass suited to your region.
5. Smother a large patchCovering a patch with black plastic or cardboard for a few weeks kills clover by blocking light — and kills the grass under it too, so plan to reseed.

Household vinegar and other natural weed killers burn clover leaves but not its stolons, and they brown the grass they touch. They are better suited to clover in cracks and beds than in a lawn. Corn gluten meal does nothing to clover that is already growing.

What kills clover but not grass?

A selective broadleaf herbicide labeled for your lawn grass. Not every “weed killer for lawns” is good on clover, so check the active ingredients on the label:

Mixes of two or three ingredients control more weeds than any single one. Our guide to broadleaf weed killers compares them, and the lawn weed killer guide covers grass-type safety.

Southern lawns: St. Augustine and centipede grass are sensitive to many broadleaf products, including some three-way mixes and triclopyr. Use only a product whose label lists your grass, at the rate it gives for that grass.

When and how should you spray clover?

Fall is the best time to kill clover. From mid-September to early November in the North and transition zone, perennial broadleaf weeds send food reserves down to their roots and runners, and a systemic herbicide travels with them. The second-best window is late spring, after the main flush of flowers — but spring spraying carries more risk of drift onto garden plants that are leafing out. Check the weed control calendar for your region.

• Spot-spray scattered patches instead of the whole lawn; wet the leaves without letting it drip.
• Spray actively growing clover in moist soil, on a calm day between about 50 and 85°F. Drought-stressed weeds absorb little and stressed grass gets damaged.
• Hold the mower for a few days before and after, so there is leaf to absorb the product and time for it to move.
• Watch the rain: most products need several dry hours; the label gives the rainfast time.
• Don’t spray new grass until it has been mowed at least three times, and read the label for the wait before seeding.

Clover can take two applications a few weeks apart, and fall results often show fully only the next spring. In the US, a herbicide label is a legal document: read it and follow it, including how long to keep kids and pets off the lawn. See our pet-safe weed killer guide for lower-risk options.

Should you keep clover instead? Clover lawns and microclover

White clover was a normal part of lawns, and of lawn seed, until broadleaf herbicides came into wide use in the 1950s and removed it along with the weeds. Some homeowners now seed clover into their grass on purpose. Here is the trade-off, stated plainly:

• In its favor: it supplies its own nitrogen, its clippings return nitrogen to the soil, and its flowers feed bees. It also competes with other weeds.
• Against it: bees on the flowers where people walk barefoot, green stains, a patchy look in a formal lawn, and top growth that dies back in winter in cold regions. It also handles heat, drought and shade poorly.

Microclover is a group of small-leaved, low-growing selections of white clover bred to blend into turf. It has smaller leaves and fewer flowers than common white clover and is usually overseeded into an existing lawn. Keep in mind that most broadleaf herbicides labeled for lawns kill microclover too: a clover-and-grass lawn means giving up broadcast weed sprays and controlling other weeds by hand or spot treatment.

Common mistakes with clover

• Using a 2,4-D-only product and concluding “nothing kills clover.”
• Spraying in midsummer heat or drought, when clover absorbs little and grass is easily injured.
• Killing the clover but not feeding the lawn: without more nitrogen, clover returns from seed and runners.
• Pulling only the leaves, leaving the rooted stolons to regrow.
• Spreading treated clippings as mulch or compost when the label says not to.

Clover often shares the lawn with other broadleaf weeds. If you also see yellow flowers on hollow stalks, read how to get rid of dandelions; if a scalloped-leaf vine is creeping out of the shade, see creeping Charlie control.

FAQ

What kills clover but not grass?

A selective broadleaf herbicide labeled for your grass type. Products containing dicamba, MCPP (mecoprop), triclopyr, fluroxypyr, clopyralid or quinclorac control white clover in cool-season lawns. 2,4-D on its own is weak on clover, so look for a mix rather than a single-ingredient 2,4-D product. Read and follow the label: it lists the grasses the product is safe on.

Why is there so much clover in my yard?

White clover makes its own nitrogen with the help of root bacteria, so it outcompetes grass in lawns that are underfed. It also fills thin, short-mowed turf and bare patches. A yard full of clover is usually a sign the grass needs more nitrogen and density, not that the clover arrived from somewhere special.

Does vinegar kill clover?

Vinegar burns clover leaves on contact, but it does not travel to the roots and creeping stems, so clover often grows back. It also kills the grass it touches. Horticultural vinegar (20–30% acetic acid) can burn skin and eyes: wear gloves and eye protection, and never mix vinegar with bleach.

When is the best time to kill clover in a lawn?

Fall. From mid-September to early November in most northern and transition-zone lawns, clover moves sugars down to its roots and stolons, and a systemic herbicide goes with them. Late spring, after the main flush of flowers, is the second-best window. Results from fall sprays may not fully show until spring.

Is it bad to have clover in your lawn?

Not for the lawn itself. Clover adds nitrogen to the soil and its flowers feed bees. The downsides are uneven color and texture, bees on flowers where people walk barefoot, and green stains on clothes. Whether to remove it is a matter of preference.

Related

• Lawn weedsCommon lawn weeds by type (grassy, broadleaf, sedge), what each one says about your lawn, and the right control and timing to get rid of weeds in grass.
• Broadleaf weed killerBroadleaf weed killer explained: how 2,4-D, MCPP, dicamba and triclopyr kill weeds but not grass, the best fall timing, and how to avoid drift and tree damage.
• DandelionsHow to get rid of dandelions in your lawn: dig out the taproot, spot-spray a broadleaf killer in fall, and thicken the grass so new seeds can’t take hold.
• Creeping CharlieCreeping Charlie (ground ivy) is one of the hardest lawn weeds to kill. What works: triclopyr in fall after frost, pulling runners, more light, thicker grass.

Updated October 3, 2026