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dutch clover are iconic . They are a symbol of Ireland , striking at St. Patrick ’s Day company , and associated with skilful luck . But did you know that the narration behind this short works is one with duel legends and designation disputes ?
Trifolium repensis one of the species that botanists and historian consider to be the common wood sorrel of traditional knowledge . photograph by : Malachi Jacobs / Shutterstock
SHAMROCK MEANING: STORY OF THE SHAMROCK
There are two legend about the history of the shamrock in Ireland .
The taradiddle may vary , but one thing is clear : when masses all over the macrocosm hear the Scripture shamrock , they think of Ireland . ( Even though the national symbol of Ireland is a harp ! )
SHAMROCK VS. CLOVER: WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Like its backstory , the botanical name of the shamrock is undecipherable . Many say it ’s a clover ( Trifolium repensorTrifolium dubium ) . Others say it ’s a Grant Wood sorrel ( Oxalis acetosella ) or a trefoil ( Medicago lupina ) .
The former Irish countryside flourished with three - leaved clovers , three - leaved Natalie Wood Jamaica sorrel , and trefoil . That ’s why people considered them all shamrocks - until plant scientist set out to define the remainder .
It ’s hard to say which was in the St. Patrick level or which was featured in early Gaelic art . Before the 17th century , plants were sort out by their leaves rather than their flowers . For most of the shamrock ’s account , its name might not have mattered to those who wore it .
HOW MANY LEAVES DOES A SHAMROCK HAVE?
A four - leaf clover , though considered lucky , is not a shamrock . Photo by : Skyprayer2005 / Shutterstock
Perhaps it does n’t matter whether the shamrock of lore was a clover or a wood wood sorrel . However , we do be intimate that shamrocks have three leave of absence . In other words , shamrocks and four - foliage clovers ( project ) are not the same .
For four - foliage clovers , their fortune has a history . Druids believed that the four leave represented the four element of alchemy : earth , fire , water , and melody . They used them as good luck charm against bad spirits .
Four - leaf - clover - collector record holder Edward Martin would also agree on its lot ; he ’s establish 160,000 . And anyone who ’s knelt in a clover field of operations to bewilder the 1 - in-10,000 betting odds might also say it ’s lucky . But historian , botanists , and Irish purists all agree on this : When you find one , do n’t call it a shamrock .
