White clover (Trifolium repens) is well known for crowding out broadleaf weeds while growing harmoniously with grass. In recent years, the idea of growing clover has been making a comeback. The reasons to grow clover are endless! The Value of Clover Additionally, the roots host nitrogen-fixing bacteria that enrich the soil, and the plants are high-quality forage for many animals. Bees and other pollinators can’t resist its flowers (red clover is especially attractive to bumblebees), and the plants can be turned into the soil as green manure, too. Superstitions aside, clover is valuable plant in many ways. Even dreaming of clover was supposed to bring good luck. In the Middle Ages, it was believed that carrying a four-leaf clover would enable you to see fairies, recognize witches and evil spirits, and be protected from the evil eye. Eve supposedly took a four-leaf clover with her when she was banished from the Garden of Eden, too. Traditionally, four leaves were considered lucky because they reflected the shape of a cross and were thought to be magical or sacred. According to popular lore, if you do find a four-leaf clover, giving it to someone else doubles your luck. How Rare Is a Four-Leaf Clover? Why Are They Lucky?Īs kids, we would spend hours searching for that lucky four-leaf clover-and often come home empty handed!Ī four-leaf clover isn’t a special variety of clover it’s just an unusual mutation of a three-leaf clover, but it’s a “lucky” symbol because it’s so hard to find. In fact, your chances of finding a four-leaf clover are 1 in 10,000! That’s where the luck comes in, apparently. Tropical relatives of wood sorrel are often sold in stores as “shamrock” houseplants, since they’re better suited to the indoor environment than clover species are. Wood sorrel looks very similar to clover, though the plants are not related. Patrick’s Day.”Īs mentioned, “shamrock” can also refer to a plant called common wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella). Wood sorrel is shipped from Ireland to other countries in great quantity for St. dubium), and black medic (Medicago lupulina). Plants called shamrock include the wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) of the family Oxalidaceae, or any of various plants of the pea family (Fabaceae), including white clover (Trifolium repens), suckling clover (T. “ Shamrock any of several similar-appearing trifoliate plants-i.e., plants each of whose leaves is divided into three leaflets. Both clovers are native to Europe, but can be found throughout the world today. Their genus name, Trifolium, means “having three leaves”-an appropriate description! White clover is thought to be one of the “true” shamrock plants.Īccording to Encyclopedia Britannica, a number of other similar-looking plants go by the name “shamrock”:
In Ireland, the plants that are most often associated with the name “shamrock” are the suckling clover (Trifolium dubium)and the white clover (Trifolium repens). In fact, there are a few plants that go by this nickname! The word “shamrock” comes from the Irish word Seamróg, meaning “little clover” or “young clover,” but there isn’t a consensus on which species of clover is the “true” shamrock. More recently, the four-leaf clover has also come to represent the Holy Trinity, with the fourth leaf symbolizing God’s Grace. Patrick used a three-leaf shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity, with one leaf representing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, respectively. Why three leaves and not four? According to legend, St. Sometimes, the shamrock is depicted as a four-leaf clover, but this isn’t quite accurate. Traditionally, a shamrock is a three-leaf clover. Patrick’s Day decor, representing the rebirth of spring. The shamrock is a symbol that we commonly associate with St.
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