I couldn’t let St. Patrick’s Day go by without giving it a little print. With a name like Irland, I feel it my duty. Although here in the states we spell Ireland with the inclusion of an ‘e,’ it is spelled like my last name, without the e, in German, Austrian, Persian, Hebrew, Danish and Yiddish. I’ve had a few pints bought for me because of that name. The fact that the Irland clan was banished from Ireland to Scotland is a whole other story.

St. Patrick’s Day has an abundance of symbols, traditions and legends attached to the day. There is green beer, corned beef and cabbage, Irish potatoes, parades, leprechauns and pots o’ gold. St. Patrick, for whom the day is celebrated, however, made the shamrock one of the most notable symbols of Ireland.

It is said Saint Patrick, in trying to explain the Holy Trinity to Druid high priests, plucked a shamrock from the groundand describe that just as the three leaves were united by one stalk, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were of one God. This simple description not only convinced the king to allow St. Patrick to roam freely across Ireland to preach his message, but the king and many of the priests converted to Christianity.

Further adding to the legend of the patron saint of the Emerald Isle, is the story of St. Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland and planting fields of shamrocks to deter the snakes from returning. There is some credence to this, as there are no snakes in Ireland and it is said you will never see a snake cross a field of shamrocks.

A shamrock, whose name is derived from the Gaelic word seamrog, meaning “little clover,” is part of the genus Trifolium, which translates to ‘having three leaves’. With more than 300 species of clover, botanists cannot settle on which one is “the shamrock,” but most believe it to be white clover.

Many would think that regardless of species, the four-leaf clover, a symbol of good luck, would be the shamrock. However, using the story of St. Patrick and his depiction of the Trinity, shamrocks can only have three leaves.

Four-leaf clovers are mutations that, although uncommon, develop with a regular rate of recurrence. It is said that for every 5,000 three-leaf clovers, one four-leaf clover develops. Researchers have been able to detect the presence of the gene that causes this mutation, which has led to the cultivation of plants that regularly produce clover with four leaves.

Beside all of the wonderful stories that go along with clover, there are also a lot of benefits associated with the plant. My pop considered them weeds, which when popping up in the middle of his perfectly green lawn, I understand. However, many ecofriendly homeowners are starting to lean toward clover lawns in lieu of grass lawns. It attracts bees, and once established, is very low maintenance.

Red clover is often planted to aid in eliminating erosion problems. It is also used as a winter cover crop for vegetable gardens that are not being planted during the winter months. The clover holds soil in place that may otherwise be washed away, returns nitrogen to the soil, and when tilled under before planting in spring, adds desirable organic matter to the area.

Red feather foxtail clover is an ornamental perennial clover that has visual appeal. It grows to about 15 inches in height with silvery-blue foliage and bright purple fuzzy flowers that attract bees and hummingbirds.

Both red and white clover have culinary and medicinal uses. Leaves from seeds that have been sprouted can be added to salads or dried and used in baked goods. There is a slight vanilla flavor to the leaves. Clover that has come in contact with pesticides should not be consumed.

The flowers have been used to make pastes and oils used to treat eczema, scrapes and insect bites, and as rejuvenating face masks. Steeped to make tea, red clover is loaded with isoflavones, a nutrient that can help maintain good cholesterol levels, and potassium for muscle health and strong bones.

Food for the bees, the soil, and you, clover is the luckiest plant in the landscape. Until next week, happy gardening and Sláinte!