Look down at a lawn. You will see it. White clover is a small white flower on a creeping stem. Trifolium repens is one of the most widespread plants on the planet. It came to New Zealand with European settlers. It found the climate agreeable. Too agreeable, some farmers say. The leaves are compound. They have three rounded leaflets. A fourth leaf is rare and considered lucky. The white flowers are clustered in round heads. Sometimes tinged with pink. The stems creep along the ground. They root at nodes. A single plant can form a mat metres across. White clover is a legume. It hosts bacteria in its roots. These convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form plants can use. This is nitrogen fixation. It enriches the soil. Farmers value it for pasture. Gardeners value it for lawns. It is a weed only when it grows where it is not wanted. The plant is edible. The flowers and leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. They are mild and slightly sweet. Clover tea was a thing. Clover bread was a thing. The plant has followed humans around the world. In New Zealand, white clover is everywhere. Lawns. Parks. Roadsides. Pastures. Waste ground. It thrives on disturbance. It thrives on grazing. It thrives on mowing. Cutting it back only makes it spread. The name repens means creeping. It fits. The plant does not stand up. It spreads out. It covers ground. White clover is not native. But it is not going anywhere. It is too useful. Too adaptable. Too widespread. It has made itself at home. The flowers attract bees. Clover honey is a thing. The plant supports pollinators. In a world of declining insect populations, that matters. White clover is a reminder. Not all introduced species are pests. Some are useful. Some are benign. This one is both, depending on where you stand.