Lucky Charm

"There is no greater beauty or charm than what we can find in nature." ~ Todd Romano.

The four-leaf clover is a universal symbol for good luck and its leaves are said to stand for faith, hope, love and luck. The word 'shamrock' refers only to a clover with three leaves.

The four-leaf clover is a rare variation of the common shamrock. Clovers can also have five, six or more leaflets but these are even more rare. What causes the extra leaves?

Scientists have determined that the extra leaflets are caused by genetics, mutations and environmental conditions. A dominant gene in white clover produces three-leaf clovers. However, when a recessive gene is expressed or the structure of a gene is changed, four or more leaves are produced. The fourth leaf is often smaller or of a different shade of green. Environmental conditions such as weather, growing conditions, certain chemicals or levels of radiation also affect clover. 

According to a study, the extra leaf is more frequent at a certain temperature because clover prefers cooler weather. Also, exposing flowers to gamma rays during the pollination stage results in more four-leaf clovers. Hence, multiple factors impact the production of this relatively rare clover.

The fourth leaf is considered good luck so I’m hoping that luck spreads to all.