Variety performance review
Imperial Whitetail Clover in the Corn Belt Core.
- Good
- Whitetail Institute
- Perennial
Regional strengths
Imperial Whitetail Clover is the most-recognized food plot clover brand in the Corn Belt — easy establishment, reliable spring green-up, and strong palatability. Widely used by first-time food plotters because of brand-supported planting guides and forgiving establishment.
Regional weaknesses
Imperial Whitetail is a proprietary blend not subjected to the same university trial transparency as varietal clovers like Durana — performance comparisons rely on community reports rather than independent yield data. Premium pricing per acre is meaningfully higher than equivalent varietal seed; the convenience premium is real but worth knowing about.
Agronomic ratings
Drought tolerance
fair
Standability
good
Emergence
good
Winter hardiness
good
Food-plot ratings
Palatability
excellent
Persistence
good
Establishment
easy
Attraction timing: April through frost; spring green-up is a major attraction window
Best for
- first-time food plotters
- small acreage food plots
- hunter-managed perennial plots
Not recommended for
- budget-conscious operations (consider varietal Durana or Patriot at lower cost per acre)
Best soil types
loam, silt loam
Seeding rate
9 lb/acre per Whitetail Institute label
Farmer notes
Community reports across Iowa, Illinois, Indiana food plotter forums consistently rate Imperial Whitetail as a reliable easy-button choice. Long-term persistence comparisons against Durana are mixed.
Data quality & sources
Quality: company-reported · Last updated 2024.
Whitetail Institute product page →