The Four Leaf Clover

 

The Luck of the Irish Be Yours

In honor of St Patrick, I thought I would talk about the extra special four leaf clover.  Yes, there actually is one.  It is a very uncommon variation of the common Trifolium repens which is a white clover.  The clover is part of a large species family that includes peas and other eatables.  Thought of as a nuisance in lawns, many of hours have been spent by children and adults alike looking for that elusive fourth leaf which is a symbol of good luck.

For those of you who do not know who St Patrick was, he is the person credited for bringing Christianity to Ireland and driving all the snakes out of the Isles. His holy day is March 17th and is celebrated by millions.  St Patrick's Shamrock is the 3 leaf as he used it to teach the Christian Trinity throughout Ireland.  But I get off the track.

The Shamrock Plant.

So what is that plant you are seeing in stores at this time of year?  This is called an Oxalis regnellii.  Its common name is Woodsorrel or False Shamrock Plant and it is a beautiful little plant.  Like the clover it is also eatable.  The Oxalis Regnellii does come in a four leaf variety as I picture below. I found it posted in a number of places on the web but cannot find another name for it.  If anyone knows the name please pass it on to me and my readers.

So now that you know what it is, let's talk about how to take care of it.

The Care and Feeding 

The Oxalis is grown from a bulb.  Knowing this you will know that the bulb will go through dormant periods so don't get upset if it starts looking peaked. 

Water the Oxalis sparingly.  Do not let it dry out as this will throw it into dormancy more quickly.  Do not over water or it will drown.  A pot and dish combination may be the best container for the Oxalis.  Feed it every 2 to 3 weeks with a fertilizer of 10-10-10.

Though the Oxalis likes a sunny window it does not like to be hot.   It does not tolerate temperatures over 75 degrees and would really like a lower temperature in the evening hours.  With this in mind you might want to keep your plant in a medium light location.

If your plant begins to go into a dormant period (usually in the heat of summer), stop watering.   Some people will force it into dormancy by cutting the whole plant down.  The older the plant the less it will need to go into dormancy.  While it is dormant let it rest in lower light and watch for new shoots.  When it is ready, you will see the shoots and you should then start the watering and feeding again.

I hope you find this posting helpful.  I try to use my own photography in this blog but today I had to rely on others. Thank you to them.

I hope that this posting has answered any questions you may have.  If you have more, please post it here or email me at houseplantsos@gmail.com . I would love to hear from you.

kkjones