Legend Travels Further Than Real Shamrocks
Top of the mornin to ya and a happy St. Patrick’s Day.
I just finished pinning a little shamrock to the lapel of my jacket. I couldn’t help but think this little plant should be highlighted today, for it’s the national flower of Ireland. I thought I would find a wee bit of history and a few cultural suggestions for the shamrock to share with you. Locating the history was painless. Locating information on the plant, however, was another matter. The entire adventure turned out to be quite enlightening.
I found the history of the shamrock in the World Book Encyclopedia. The name shamrock is anglicized from Seamrog, which means trefoil (three-leaved), and it dates back to the time of St. Patrick. Legend has it that he used this plant to demonstrate the Holy Trinity to his converts. Today, the Irish (and us would-be Irish) still wear a bit of the green in our lapels on St. Patrick’s Day.
As for the culture of the plant, there is none. The “shamrock” doesn’t seem to be recognized in the horticultural community by a botanical name. I did run across another meaning to this charming word, though, in a little book entitled, “Language of the Flowers” - it said “light-hearted.” I can tell you, light-hearted is not exactly the feeling I have as I plow through stacks of magazines and books looking for any information on this beloved plant of Ireland.
Some books say it’s a clover, a member of the pea family. Still others insist it is a member of the oxalis family, namely a wood sorrel. Wood sorrel has leaves and flowers that resemble those of the white clover, a green plant with white flowers.
I tend to agree with those who think of the shamrock as a clover. After all, when was the last time you looked for a four-leaf wood sorrel? Some clovers that have often been referred to as shamrocks are black medic, yellow trefoil and hop clover.
Still, we can’t disregard the little plant we purchased in the supermarket labeled the shamrock plant, Oxalis Regnellii. This particular oxalis (there are literally hundreds of oxalis species) has bright green leaves on top and bronze-green leaves on the underside. Since it never requires a rest period, it blooms delicate white flowers all year round.
In general, oxalis plants are fun to raise, since they don’t have many cultural requirements. Since there are so many species, they are divided into three groups: those that have bulbs that go dormant, those with bulbs that do not go dormant, and those with fibrous roots (no bulbs). All do best in bright light and welldrained, acidic soil.
The leaves and flowers of this plant have a couple of interesting characteristics. They will fold downward when it is dark or if the sun is too strong. The leaves also have an acid or sour taste. It’s no wonder, since the name oxalis comes from the Greek oxys, meaning acid. If you bit into one, you’d find a very bitter, sour taste.
To keep the plants blooming, remove spent blossoms and never allow the plant to dry out.
Oh, there is one more oxalis to add to your shamrock list, Oxalis Deppei, the “Lucky Clover.” It has leaves that resemble clover leaves and rosey-red flowers with yellow throats.
Whether we think of the shamrock as a clover or an oxalis, it really doesn’t matter. But if you hope for a little luck of the Irish, you best wear a wee bit of the shamrock today.
P.S. I can’t leave without passing along some St. Patrick’s Day garden lore that I ran across in the “Good Times Almanac” - 1. An old Pennsylvania German folk saying: “Plant your peas by St. Patrick’s Day.” 2. An old Irish folk saying: “Prune roses and plant potatoes on St. Patrick’s Day.”
An old Phyllis saying - “Don’t plant anything until the soil has warmed to at least 45 degrees. And as for pruning roses, you best leave them until about mid-April.”
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The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Phyllis Stephens The Spokesman-Review