The Lucky Shamrock Plant

A shamrock is a tender pot-plant that grows from an underground rhizome that looks like a zipper. It bears three lobed, triangular green leaves on a slender petiole which is about six inches long. It is commonly mistaken for another good luck charm, the four-leaf clover, which is rarer than the shamrock. Clovers can grow as many as twenty-one leaflets, as documented in the Guinness World Records in June 2008.

Its name is derived from ‚”seamrog”, the Celtic word for clover. The original Irish clover is the white clover, known by its scientific name of Trifolium repens; but these days other three-leafed plants such as the wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) or red clover (Trifolium pratense) are also designated as shamrocks.

Symbol of Christianity, Rebellion and Magic

According to legend, the shamrock was used by the Patron Saint of Ireland St Patrick to illustrate the Holy Trinity of a united Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Born as Maewyn Succat in 387 AD to a Roman officer, St Patrick was a missionary sent to convert the Irish to Christianity. Another legend is that St Patrick succeeded in driving out snakes from Ireland, but it is actually a metaphor for banishing the pagan Druids, shamans and magicians of the Celts.

During the reign of Queen Victoria, the shamrock was identified as a sign of rebellion and independence from the British crown, and to wear a shamrock on a military uniform was classified as a crime punishable by death. Over the course of history, the shamrock grew to become an iconic symbol of pride.

Shamrocks were believed to possess magical properties with its tripartite leaves, as three was a sacred number in numerology. In ancient times they were used by druids to ward off evil spirits. It was also thought that an upward direction of its leaves was a prophecy for grave weather. According to recent research, red clover has shown anti-cancer activity, and poultices of the herb have been used as alternative medicine for skin complaints such as psoriasis and eczema.

Caring for Shamrock Plants

Shamrocks make ideal house plants because they are very easy to grow. They grow well in cool air and moist soil, and should be exposed to bright light but not direct sun. Like all bulbs, they have a period of dormancy for a few months every year as autumn draws to a close. When the foliage starts to look a little wilted, the watering of the plant should be stopped, and when all the leaves turn brown, they should be pulled off.

The pot should be placed somewhere which will remain cool and dry for three months or so. Purple leaf varieties need only about a month. By spring they should be watered and fertilised again to resume their growth. A good suggestion is to remove the bulbs from the pot, separate them and replant them just under the surface of good, sandy houseplant soil. Spider mites may disturb the shamrock plant, so they should be regularly exterminated.