Common & scientific name
Red Clover, Trifolium pratense
Family
Pea, Fabaceae
Location
Above winter gate, 8,600
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
Seen in every part of the valley, from backyards up to tree line, Red clover hails from Europe and Asia, has pretty pink heads, two-toned leaves, and grows tall if it needs to compete with other plants to reach the sun, staying lower if on bare ground. Like all peas, it is a nitrogen-fixer (more on that later), therefore good for the soil and mostly endured by weed fanatics even though it is non-native.