Crimson Clover
If you want to plant an overwintering cover crop that will not look weedy and will finish up in late spring, this is a good choice for areas in zones 7b-10. In colder zones, it makes a good spring or fall cover, or is underplanted in the shade beneath taller crops.A beautiful cover crop for both the farm and the home garden. Draws nitrogen from the air into the soil, provides and good leafy cover, and the lovely bright-red flowers feed pollinators.
Crimson clover grows during cool seasons--spring and fall, or summer in coastal fog belt. Overwinters in the south and Pacific coast, and blooms in May-June. Because of it's late bloom, it provides good cover in spring rains, but is difficult to terminated for early plantings. Often interplanted with grains, either for cover or food use. In the north, it is often combined with oats as a winterkilled cover crop--both die at 10 degrees F to form a mulch that doesn't have to be terminated in spring. For this use, plant in late summer to get a good stand. Trifolium incarnatum.