Red clover is a short-lived perennial, 2-3 years, and usually produces 2-3 cuttings of hay or silage per year with most aggressive growth in the spring. Red clover is so resilient, you can broadcast the seed onto frozen ground. The seed will survive ongoing cold temperatures and will sprout as temperatures warm and the soil softens. As a cover crop, clover is an erosion controller and nitrogen fixer, pulling nutrients from deeper in the soil up where the other plants can use them. Red clover is native to the Eastern US, and is often found growing independently.