However, they quickly corrected their mistake the next day.

You wouldn’t be the first to think so, as the New York Times made the same error in 2017. The four-leaf clover isn’t the symbol of Ireland. Scientists have found that lucky clovers are more likely to produce an extra leaf when the weather warms up.īut not when it gets too hot because clovers generally thrive in moist, cool environments. You have a better chance of finding four-leaf clovers in warmer months. This is because other branches of the same plant may also have the gene that produces the fourth leaf. If you’re trying to increase your odds of picking four-leaf clovers, stick to where you found the first one. If you find one four-leaf clover, you will likely see more nearby. He was lucky he did, as he dodged a bullet meant for him. Legend says Napoleon Bonaparte saw a four-leaf clover in the middle of combat and bent down to pick it up. A four-leaf clover saved Napoleon Bonaparte’s life in battle. However, he reportedly left his four-leaf clover at home the night John Wilkes Booth assassinated him. Honest Abe took his good luck charm everywhere he went. Abraham Lincoln carried a four-leaf clover everywhere. Therefore, for the four-leaf mutation to occur, each chromosome copy must contain the four-leaf genetic trait, as the gene is recessive. The more leaves a clover has, the lower your odds of finding one.įour-leaf clovers are so rare because every cell in a clover has four chromosome copies. However, a study by Swiss researchers found that the odds are more like 1 in 5,000, which is still rare. It’s popularly believed your chance of picking a four-leaf clover is about 1 in 10,000. Gabriella is apparently pretty lucky, as she also has the Guinness World Record for the most four-leaf clovers found in one hour! Four-leaf clovers are super rare. The Guinness World Record holder for the largest four-leaf clover collection is Gabriella Gerhardt, who set a new record of 118,791 clovers on February 25, 2023. The world’s largest collection of four-leaf clovers exceeds 100,000. Some Christian traditions also use the four-leaf clover to represent the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and Grace of God. Other Irish legends say that finding a clover with five leaves brings money, six brings fame, and seven means you’ll have a long life! The meaning of four-leaf clovers has changed over time.Īs Christianity became the more dominant religion in the west, four-leaf clovers came to represent the Christian virtues: hope, faith, charity, and luck. The first leaf symbolizes fame, the second is for wealth, the third is love, and the fourth brings health. The four-leaf clover had significant meaning for pagan Celts, with each leaf holding a blessing for you when you find it. Each lucky clover leaf has a deeper meaning. In 2009, Shigeo Obara found a clover with 56 leaves, the most ever recorded. Although the more leaves they have, the harder they are to find. Some clovers have five, six, or more leaves. Lucky clovers can have more than four leaves. Similar-looking plants, such as water clover, pepperwort, and oxalis, have four leaves and could pass off as lucky clovers, but they’re not the same. They usually have three leaves but can sometimes mutate and grow additional leaves. Trifolium repens is the scientific name for genuine lucky clovers. Want to learn more about the luckiest leaves of all? Who knows – your luck may just turn around after reading all these fortunate facts! There are plenty of copycat four-leaf clovers. The superstitions surrounding four-leaf clovers can be traced back to the pagan Celtic priests who believed it could be used to ward off bad luck.Īccording to Christian tradition, it was Eve that plucked the four-leaf clover on her way out of the Garden of Eden as a keepsake. They’re as valued as they are rare, and finding one is always thrilling. What do four-leaf clovers, a rabbit’s foot, and horseshoes have in common? They’re all good luck charms!įinding a lucky clover in a meadow takes more than dumb luck you need patience too.

Four leaf clover