The word "shamrock" comes from the Irish word, seamrog, which means "summer plant" and also translates "little clover." Pretty obscure, considering that there are many kinds of clovers, and even more plants that pass as clovers. As a result, in St. Patrick's Day celebrations a good number of plants serve as Irish shamrocks. But there is no "one plant" that can claim to be "the" real shamrock.

The most common varieties are;
Lesser trefoil, or hop clover - Trifolium Dubium -- @ 46%
White clover - Trifolium Repens -- @ 35%
Black medick - Medicago Lupulina -- @ 7%
Red clover - Trifolium Pratense -- @ 4%

Clover is a vigorous, rhizomatous, stem-rooting perennial with trifoliate leaves. Occasionally, a fourth leaflet will appear, making a "four-leaf clover," said to bring good luck to the person who holds it.

Several varieties of the Wood Sorrel family (such as Oxalis acetosella) are also sold as shamrocks for St. Patrick's Day celebrations. These clover charlatans are more easily cultivated than are real clovers, making them acceptable for interior decorating during St. Patrick's Day celebrations. But the wood sorrels are none of the four plants listed above.

4-Leaf Clovers aren't Irish Shamrocks… The thought of "Irish shamrocks" summons visions of the green landscapes of the Emerald Isle as does St. Patrick's Day itself. But identifying a particular plant as the shamrock isn't possible. Ironically, 4-leaf clovers are quite distinct from Irish shamrocks, for reasons that history makes clear in the legends of St. Patrick and Irish Shamrocks. There are other differences between Shamrocks and 4-leaf-clovers...

Let's explain why multiple "shamrock" representatives are accepted... A trifoliate leaf structure can transcend geographical anomalies, for instance, some of the wood sorrels widely used in the U.S. as Irish shamrocks are of South American or Central American heritage, this barely conjures up images of the grassy slopes of the Irish countryside in anyone's mind!

What medick "the wood sorrels", and all true clovers all have in common is a trifoliate leaf structure. For example, a compound leaf with three leaflets. ... The number 3 is very significant in Christian religions, because of the doctrine of the Trinity. Irish legend recounts the missionary, Saint Patrick in the 5th century, demonstrating the principle behind the Trinity using a shamrock, pointing to its three leaflets united by a common stem as he introduced Christianity to Ireland. There is no way to determine the exact plant referred to in the legend. For a clover to represent the Trinity, it would have to bear only 3 leaves, unfortunately for all the good luck they bring you, 4-leaf clovers can't be considered shamrocks.

But what of the history behind four leaf clovers being considered lucky charms? Clovers occupied a position in the cultural life of many early peoples. White clover in particular was held in high esteem by the early Celts of Wales as a charm against evil spirits. The history behind four leaf clovers as lucky charms is clearly distinct from the Christian traditions behind the shamrock. Not widely known, the significance invested in four leaf clovers well pre-dates Christianity, going back to the pagan period (9th - 13th centuries), ... it was then four leaf clovers were popularized as Celtic charms.

Celtic rule once extended across Ireland and much of Western Europe. It was Druids (Celtic priests) who raised four leaf clovers to the status of Celtic charms, supposedly powerful against hostile spirits. Their status as Celtic charms is the origin of the modern belief in their power to bestow good luck to the holder.

The Druids held the 4 leaf clovers in high esteem and considered them a sign of luck for a long period. The first known literary reference to four leaf clovers as Celtic charms was made in the year 1620. At that time Sir John Melton penned, "If a man walking in the fields finds any four-leafed grass, he shall in a small while after find some good thing."

What are the odds of finding a Clover with 4 leafs? The average is, 10,000 three leaf clovers for every instance of a "true" four leaf clover!

More modern, the "Wearin' o' the green" .... The shamrock became symbolic in other ways as time went on. In the 19th century it became a symbol of rebellion, and anyone wearing it risked death by hanging. It was in this period that the phrase "the wearin' o' the green" was popularized. Today, the shamrock is the most recognized symbol of the Irish, especially on St. Patrick's Day, when all over the world, everyone is Irish for a day!

The leaves of four leaf clovers are said to stand for faith, hope, love, and luck. But another widely known interpretation is the following verse:

I'm looking over a four-leaf clover
That I overlooked before.
One leaf is sunshine,
the second is rain,
Third is the roses that grow in the lane.
No need explaining the one remaining
Is somebody I adore.
I'm looking over a four-leaf clover
That I overlooked before.

What do the four leaves symbolize then?
One leaf is for HOPE...
The second for FAITH...
The third for LOVE...
And the fourth for LUCK!

Fakes? No way? -- Is Oxalis Deppei an easy "Four Leaf Clover" Substitute? One could always take the easy route to finding "four leaf clovers." Oxalis Deppei is widely sold as a "good luck plant," because it bears a leaf that always has four leafs. Plants from the Oxalis genus are not true clovers… only clover look-a-likes. Think about it, when that fourth leaflet is automatic, how could one possibly believe it holds its own as a "genuine" Celtic charm?

Considering all of the St. Patrick's Day traditions surrounding shamrocks and four leaf clovers, do you find it surprising that the clover is often looked upon as a weed? The killing of which we deem central to the care of our lawns… if you doubt, read any of your lawn care product's labels... however, this was not always the case. The University of Minnesota Extension Service points out that until recently, it was standard practice to include clover seed in most lawn seed mixes. Into the 1950s, clover was included in such seed as it was regarded as a prestigious lawn plant. It was considered an attractive, low-maintenance ground cover, that was soft to walk on, mowed well and would fill in thin spots in a yard.

When present, clover tolerates compacted soil better than lawn grass does. It has longer roots, enabling it to access water at deeper levels and it has natural features that improve nitrogen in the soil it's bedded in. Plus, clover doesn't need to be mowed nearly as often as does lawn grass, but it does attract honeybees -- as clover grows a mildly attractive flower -- which could easily be listed as another advantage clover has over lawn grass, as this flower draws bees and other beneficial insects to your landscape. Thankfully, if you are allergic to bee stings, you can simply mow more frequently during the blooming season. If you are not allergic to honeybees, this shouldn't be a concern; because honeybees tend not to be aggressive away from their hive.

The mystique of the four leaf clover continues today, since finding a real four leaf clover is a rare occurrence and a significant omen of good luck. Even if you have your own Clover lawn, you may still only rarely (if ever) come upon a real four leaf clover! But you can get yours today, the easy way… from myluckyclovers.com. Just start Shopping!

with the best of Luck to You! … sincerely, the staff at Lucky Clover!

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