Sweet-clovers have flowers that are very small, white or yellow, borne in numerous, elongated and slender, spikelike clusters from the leaf axils, with tiny, linear bracts at the flower bases. The calyx is narrowly bell-shaped, with 5 almost equal, pointed teeth. The fruits are small pods, ovoid, slightly longer than the calyx, strongly wrinkled, with usually 1 seed, rarely 2-4, usually not splitting. The plants of the genus Melilotus are annual or biennial, taprooted, erect and freely branched, hairless or sparsely short-hairy, characteristically sweetish-odored herbs. The leaves, have 3 sharp-tooted leaflets, the middle leaflet supported on an extra, short stalk. The middle leaflet midrib extends beyond the edge of the leaflet. The linear stipules are usually sharp-toothed and partially joined to the leaf stalk.
The genus contains about 20 species, native to Eurasia and Africa, with several well established throughout much of N. America, often growing as weeds along roadsides. The word Melilotus comes from the Greek meli, honey, and lotos, name for the cloverlike plants. The sweet clovers are used as forage, cover, and soiling crops. Attractive to bees for their fragrant blossoms, they are also honey plants.