owl's clover

American  

noun

1. any of several western American plants belonging to the genus Orthocarpus, of the figwort family, having dense spikes of flowers in a variety of colors with conspicuous bracts.

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Etymology

Origin of owl's clover

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Also blooming now: goldfields, purple grape soda lupine and owl’s clover.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Home to hundreds of different flowers, the hillsides of Conejo Open Space are covered in yellow monkeyflowers, lupine, California poppies and owl’s clover.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

“It’s a complicated legacy,” she said, pausing near a patch of purple owl’s clover, a native wildflower.

From New York Times • May 22, 2023

During the spring the meadows about San Francisco are luxuriantly covered with the pretty blossoms of the owl's clover, which make snowy patches in some places.

From The Wild Flowers of California: Their Names, Haunts, and Habits by Parsons, Mary Elizabeth

A common name for the plants of this genus is "owl's clover."

From The Wild Flowers of California: Their Names, Haunts, and Habits by Parsons, Mary Elizabeth