As a child, I always hoped to find a four-leaf clover, considered a good luck charm in my youth. Notwithstanding many hours devoted to searching clover patches for long-stems to braid clover chains, I never recall finding one. After all, four-leaf clovers do not occur often. One source estimates the odds at ten thousand to one. (Four-leaf clover, wikopedia.org) With such odds, no wonder I had never found one.

According to tradition each leaf of the four-leaf clover represents something. For example, the first leaf, for faith; the second, for hope; the third, for love; and the fourth, for luck. But I recall a different take in the familiar lyrics of a popular song, written by Mort Dixon (1892—1956), with music by Harry M. Woods (1896—1970). It became a hit song in 1927, and revived in 1948, topping the charts for 18 weeks (wikopedia.org):

“I’m looking over, a four-leaf clover
That I overlooked before
One leaf is sunshine, the second is rain
Third is the roses, that bloom in the lane
No need explaining, the one remaining
Is somebody I adore.”

To be sure, sunshine, rain and roses are nice, but love brought by the fourth leaf brings a refreshing thought, and keeps a keen eye watching. The love leaf is appropriately sandwiched between sunshine and roses, being diametrically opposed to rain in the distance.

In addition to love, the Irish associate a four leaf clover with luck and frequently wear a shamrock for that purpose, particularly on St Patrick’s Day. “The shamrock is recognized the world over as the badge of Ireland.” (irish-genealogy-toolkit.com), and is protected under the Irish Trademark Act of 1996 by restricting the three clover leaf emblem to goods or services of Irish origin.

Botanically, the shamrock is categorized as a “ vigorous, rhizomatous, stem-rooting perennial with trifoliate leaves.” (History of the Shamrock, by Michelle Gervais finegardening.com), and sometimes called an Oxalis or Shamrock Plant.

So there you have it! A four-leaf clover symbolizes love, luck, or lucky in love, all good reasons for looking over clover.