The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 6 letter word LADINO
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
L
A
D
I
N
O
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "clover" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case clover = ladino.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does LADINO mean?
LADINO noun- A person in Latin America whose culture or ancestry is a mixture of European Spanish and Native American, especially one who speaks Spanish; a mestizo.
- (Southeastern US) A cunningly vicious, wild or unmanagable horse.
- Trifolium repens (white clover).