04/05/2026
They told you clover was a w**d. They lied. Here’s who benefited.
Before the 1950s, white clover was included in every bag of lawn seed sold in America.
Seed catalogs advertised it as a sign of a quality lawn. It was considered essential.
Then came 2,4-D — a broadleaf herbicide introduced in the early 1950s.
Problem: clover is a broadleaf plant.
If clover is “good,” you can’t sell broadleaf herbicide to homeowners.
Solution:
one marketing campaign rebranded it as a w**d. Within a single generation, it worked.
By 1970, clover was the enemy of the “perfect lawn.”
Here’s what they didn’t want you to know:
→ Clover fixes nitrogen from the air — free fertilizer
→ Its deep roots keep it green through drought
→ It feeds bees as a first and last nectar source each season
→ It out-competes actual w**ds naturally
Lawn care companies have made billions selling chemicals to eliminate something that was doing the job for free.
At Ruggiero Landscaping, we’ve been incorporating clover into sustainable lawn programs for years.
We’re now developing and revamping our own locally blended clover and low-grow seed mix — sourced right here in the Lehigh Valley.
More on that soon.
Plant clover. Stop buying the lie.
