In other words, shamrocks and four-leaf clovers pictured are not the same. For four-leaf clovers, their luck has a history. Druids believed that the four leaves represented the four elements of alchemy: earth, fire, water, and air. They used them as charms against bad spirits.
Get plant information, gardening solutions, design inspiration and more in our weekly newsletter. More about the newsletter. Copyright All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. But there is no way of determining with certainty the exact plant referred to in the legend. This much we can say about Irish shamrocks, however: By definition, for a clover to represent the Trinity, it would have to bear three and only three leaves.
So for all of the good luck they allegedly bring, four-leaf clovers technically can't be considered shamrocks not in the sense in which Saint Patrick made the latter famous, at least. It was the priests of the ancient Celts, called "Druids," who elevated four-leaf clovers to the status of good luck charms, potent against evil spirits.
This is the origin of the modern belief in their power to bring good luck. For the most part, the four-leaf clover is not a separate species, just a freak of nature.
That's why people feel so lucky when they stumble across one. If you want to "make your own luck" and don't mind going outside the Trifolium genus, buy an Oxalis deppei plant.
Oxalis deppei is widely sold as the "good-luck plant," because it bears a leaf that always has four leaflets. Considering the Saint Patrick's Day traditions surrounding shamrocks and four-leaf clovers, it is surprising that the clover is often looked upon as merely a common lawn weed , the killing of which we deem central to lawn care. But it was not always so. Indeed, the book Beautiful No-Mow Yards: 50 Amazing Lawn Alternatives points out that, until recently it was standard practice to include clover seed in lawn seed mixes.
Clover was valued as a built-in fertilizer for the grasses, through its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen, and also for extending the lawn's season of green. The grass lawn is practically an institution for those who expect to find a space composed solely of green grass in front of a suburban home. In their opinion, anything else growing in the space is harmful a " weed ".
But clover is beneficial to lawns. Moreover, it goes largely unquestioned that grass will serve as your "carpeting" for outdoor living. But perhaps it is time to ask some basic questions about lawn care and the landscaping needs in front of a house. Clover actually has many of the desired characteristics of an ideal lawn, such as its tolerance of drought, lasting green color, soil aerating qualities, softness, and more.
The reason clover lawns don't require fertilizing, as does grass, is that these plants are nitrogen fixers. They share this ability with other cover crops in the pea family. Clover snatches nitrogen out of the air, bringing this essential fertilizer down to earth by means of nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in nodes along the roots all at no cost to you, in terms either of money or maintenance. You may also be wondering about clover's ability to aerate the soil, thus reducing concerns over soil compaction.
Clover tolerates compacted soil better than lawn grass does. It has longer roots, enabling it to access water at deeper levels. Finally, a word about two of clover's other ideal qualities: its ability to attract honeybees, and the fact that clover lawns usually don't need to be mowed as often as do lawns composed of grass:. But it's not a matter of all or nothing, and one advantage grass does have over a clover lawn is that it stands up better to heavy foot-traffic.
Mixing clover and grass together in the same lawn may provide the best answer for most people. Wood sorrel is shipped from Ireland to other countries in great quantity for St.
Wood sorrel looks very similar to clover, though the plants are not related. As kids, we would spend hours searching for that lucky four-leaf clover—and often come home empty handed! In fact, your chances of finding a four-leaf clover are 1 in 10,! According to popular lore, if you do find a four-leaf clover, giving it to someone else doubles your luck. The elusive four-leaf clover.
Traditionally, four leaves were considered lucky because they reflected the shape of a cross and were thought to be magical or sacred.
Eve supposedly took a four-leaf clover with her when she was banished from the Garden of Eden, too. 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.
Even dreaming of clover was supposed to bring good luck. Superstitions aside, clover is valuable plant in many ways. Additionally, the roots host nitrogen-fixing bacteria that enrich the soil, and the plants are high-quality forage for many animals. The reasons to grow clover are endless!
In recent years, the idea of growing clover has been making a comeback. White clover Trifolium repens is well known for crowding out broadleaf weeds while growing harmoniously with grass. It will thrive in areas that are poorly drained or too shady for a conventional lawn, making it a great grass alternative. It may be considered an attractive, low-maintenance ground cover that is soft to walk on, mows well and will fill in thin spots in a yard. Today, it seems clover is returning as a more eco-friendly lawn alternative.
Since it is nitrogen fixating, it can supply its own nutrients to poor soil. Overseeding clover seed into your existing lawn is an easy way to establish a clover lawn. For lawns, the most popular is the white clover because it is relatively low growing, tolerates close mowing, and outcompetes weeds.
See more about growing a clover lawn. Credit: C. The whole plant is photophilic, meaning the leaves and flowers close up at night and open wide again in the morning. Oxalis can be grown outdoors in the spring and summer in Hardiness Zones 6 to 11, but they also make for great houseplants year-round. They like bright, indirect light and tend to bloom in fall, winter, or spring. Since they are grown from bulbs, let them dry out a bit between waterings to prevent rot. It just needs a dormant period, so let it dry out and put the pot in a dark place until it decides to resume growth in a few weeks.
As soon as new leaves appear, bring it into the light and resume watering. These plants are low maintenance and long lived. Purple Shamrock Oxalis triangularis. Lucky Clover Oxalis tetraphylla.
Oxalis houseplants all contain oxalic acid, the same chemical that makes rhubarb leaves and daffodils toxic. Now that you know the true identity of the shamrock, check out our St. We use to eat clover raw. Great for salads.
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