Patrick is said to have used the three-leaf clover to explain the Holy Trinity to the pagan Irish, and the fourth leaf is believed to represent God’s grace.Īdditional information points to the four leaves of clover as representing faith, hope, love, and luck. I find them all the time and if it weren’t for my bad luck, I’d have no luck at all!), but did you know that St. We all know that it is thought to bring good luck to the finder (Yeah right. About Four Leaf Cloversīefore you begin your search for that seemingly ‘mystical’ clover specimen, it helps to have a little background info about four leaf clovers. But exactly what causes four leaf clovers, why are they considered so lucky, and how do you successfully go about finding four leaf clovers? Read on to find out. Some people look all their lives for that lucky four leaf clover without success, while others (like me and my kids) could find them all day long. All rights reserved.Ah, the four leaf clover… so much to be said about this misfit of nature. Pamela Smith can be reached at her on Twitter DTN The surprise of finding a four-leaf clover still feels like a gift and special - regardless of whether you believe they are lucky or not.Įver found a four-leaf soybean? Here's some thoughts on why that can happen: But Pennetti makes the point that while creating four-leaf clovers with the use of new genetic tools might be possible, he isn't in a rush to make that happen. Sometimes multiple leaf clovers spring from a healthier stem.Ĭould we raise them? Gene-editing technology has opened the door for all sorts of advances in crop sciences. I've had others tell me that taking a hand and swiping across a clump of clover is helpful in the search. I've come to believe that my eye must be constantly scanning for it, and therefore, I get luckier than most. I've never had much luck purposefully looking for this pattern. The white line inside the four-leaf clover tends to make a box or rectangle shape, compared to a standard three-leaf clover, which is more triangular. While I've always considered it is something of an art to locate multifoliate clovers, it turns out there may be some science to the hunt. I've watched both of my children stop mid-stride and pluck them from the baseball outfield or the soccer pitch - much to the chagrin of several coaches. While the genetics might be difficult and erratic when it comes to making your own luck, I've never doubted the genetic inclination to be able to spot the elusive clovers. I've found six, seven and even eight-leaf clovers. "If daylight or temperatures aren't right, you won't see it." Sometimes the clover gets overly excited. "It's been a really tough trait to do," Parrott said. However, Parrott's work also found that the four-leaf trait doesn't always show up, even if the genes are present. Parrott also found the location of other genes that can add red coloring to white clover leaves. Still, the precise way that happens seems to remain somewhat random, as luck would have it.Īccording to the release ( …), University of Georgia researcher Wayne Parrott and his research team identified the genetic markers associated with the four-leaf trait in white clover, (trifolium repens). Vincent Pennetti, a graduate student studying turfgrass said it takes a combination of genes and environment for clovers to produce four leaves. The fact that four-leaf clovers might be genetically different was the topic of a recent release from the University of Georgia. My bees love the sweet treat of the blossom and even as an adult, the thrill of finding a lucky clover never seems to grow old.
Others might consider white clover to be a weed in a manicured lawn, but I don't see it that way. Their three leaves are said to stand for faith, love and hope with the uncommon fourth leaf is said to be a symbol of good luck. On March 17, thoughts turn naturally to shamrocks. Mother recently passed along a few of my childhood books and clovers rained from them as I thumbed the yellowed pages. (DTN) - I've always considered myself lucky that I could spot a four-leaf clover. Four leaves (or more) may be considered lucky, but only if you find them.