Considering the Saint Patrick's Day traditions surrounding shamrocks and four-leaf clovers, it is surprising that the clover is often looked upon as merely a common lawn weed, the killing of which we deem central to lawn care. The term, "shamrock," comes from the Irish word, seamrog, which translates as "little clover." That's why people feel so lucky when they stumble across one. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. There are no stems, just clumps of leaves growing to about 10 centimetres (3.9 inches) in maximum height. Wood sorrel isn't a shamrock, as a shamrock is a type of clover (Latin genus: Trifolium), and wood sorrel is part of the genus Oxalis. Clover tolerates compacted soil better than lawn grass does. Clover snatches nitrogen out of the air, bringing this essential fertilizer down to earth by means of nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in nodes along the roots (all at no cost to you, in terms either of money or of maintenance). The climate is often cool and moist, with high humidity and precipitation, including fog drip, and areas of long-lasting snowpack. This much we can say about Irish shamrocks, however: By definition, for a clover to represent the Trinity, it would have to bear three (and only three) leaves. A Gardener's Handbook of Plant Names: Their Meanings and Origins, Effects of leaflet orientation on transpiration rates and water potentials of, Spatial and temporal variation in chasmogamy and cleistogamy in, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oxalis_montana&oldid=964628577, Flora of the Great Lakes region (North America), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 26 June 2020, at 16:44. Three of the plants are clovers, while the fourth is a clover-like plant known as "medick." About Oxalis – While not all species of Oxalis are considered weeds, once it has taken residence in your lawn it becomes one. For you will need to fill in between your bedding areas and trees and focal point with something that you can walk on. Red clover. It may be considered an attractive, low-maintenance ground cover that is soft to walk on, mows well and will fill in thin spots in a yard.". But it was not always so. Oxalis deppei is widely sold as the "good-luck plant," because it bears a leaf that always has four leaflets. David Beaulieu is a garden writer with nearly 20 years experience writing about landscaping and over 10 years experience working in nurseries. As a public service, the Herbarium offers free plant identifications. Mixing clover and grass together in the same lawn may provide the best answer for most people. are not even related to Trifolium. That's rather vague, considering that there are many kinds of clovers (and even more plants that often pass as clovers). The steam that powers the movement against lawn grass comes from a number of sources, including: Having a clover lawn provides a solution to most of these problems. You may also be wondering about clover's ability to aerate the soil, thus reducing concerns over soil compaction. It doesn't suffer the discoloration from dog urine known as ", If you should ever want to replace it with a different kind of green carpet, it helps you to do so by. All rights reserved. Some species are eaten as a salad green…and I've heard locally that it makes a fine sandwich, slathered with mayo and between two pieces of white bread. O. deppei – has 4 green leaflets with white streaks long the leaf vein and pink flowers. Finally, a word about two of clover's other ideal qualities: its ability to attract honeybees, and the fact that clover lawns usually don't need to be mowed as often as do lawns composed of grass: But it's not a matter of all or nothing, and one advantage grass does have over a clover lawn is that it stands up better to heavy foot-traffic. All totaled, there about 800 species of its genus around the world. Oxalis montana is a species of flowering plant in the family Oxalidaceae known by the common names mountain woodsorrel, wood shamrock, sours and white woodsorrel.It may also be called common woodsorrel, though this name also applies to its close relative, Oxalis acetosella.. The leaves are each made up of three heart-shaped leaflets. Wood Sorrel Description and Habitat . It is a dominant herb in a number of ecosystems, such as the forests of the Appalachian Mountains. Less.Lawn.com is devoted entirely to the movement against lawn grass. Environmental factors may cause variation; flowers growing at higher elevations have less color in the veins on the petals, while the veins of those at lower elevations have a deeper pink-purple coloration. [1] Some populations produce no flowers in a given season and reproduce only vegetatively.[4]. The Benefits of Clover, Dandelions and Lawn Weeds, Identifying and Controlling Yellow Wood Sorrel (Oxalis), Dethatching Lawns: What, Why, How, and When. The grass lawn is practically an institution for those who expect to find a space composed solely of green grass in front of a suburban home. Oxalis is from the Greek though the accent is on the end: ox-al-IS, base word (Οξύς, pungent) The Oxalis is mildly tangy because of …oxalic acid… now there’s a surprise. John Nelson is the curator of the A. C. Moore Herbarium at the University of South Carolina, in the Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia SC 29208. These clover look-alikes are more easily cultivated as houseplants than real clover, making them popular as indoor decorations for Saint Patrick's Day. The reason clover lawns don't require fertilizing, as does grass, is that these plants are nitrogen fixers. Even among the Irish, there is no consensus that dubs one particular group of plants as the true Irish shamrocks, botanically speaking, as was reported in a 1988 survey. Consequently, in Saint Patrick's Day celebrations a number of plants serve as Irish shamrocks. But there is a growing movement in the U.S. to cut back on the amount of landscape consumed by lawn grass. But clover is beneficial to lawns. They share this ability with other cover crops in the pea family. Sorrel is from the High German word “sur” meaning sour. [1] The leaflets move, folding and unfolding, in response to sunlight. Oxalis, another common name for this plant, literally means "sour" and … [5], The fruit is a capsule. It occurs there in the understory of red spruce (Picea rubens) and balsam or Fraser fir (Abies balsamea or A. fraseri). This taste is derived from a fairly high concentration of oxalic acid, which can be somewhat poisonous in large amounts. Gates, S. C. and H. W. Vogelmann. Oxalis montana is a perennial herb which grows in patches connected by subterranean rhizomes. This is the origin of the modern belief in their power to bring good luck. weisschr / Getty Images Four-Leaf Clovers vs. Shamrocks . [1] The Latin specific epithet montana refers to mountains or coming from mountains.[2]. Here are some of the components it would probably have: But now we come to the "carpeting" for your outdoor living space. Its leaves are compound, each one bearing three deep-green, valentine-shaped leaflets, and thus it appears to be a sort of shamrock. In their opinion, anything else growing in the space is harmful (a "weed"). The type of Oxalis that shows up in turfgrass is also known as Yellow or Creeping Wood-Sorrel, and can be tricky to control. Wood sorrel, or oxalis, is a medium-sized wild edible weed that thrives in most areas across Canada and the U.S. Oxalis can grow between 6 to 12 inches tall and have unique shamrock-shaped leaflets in various color combinations including ones with speckles. But if you're seeking the real McCoy, you'd better start looking for some four-leaf clovers, because you'll need lots of luck: There is no authoritative version. The word "shamrock" refers to multiple species of three-leafed plants, including common white clover (Trifolium repens) and wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella). Wood sorrel is the typical yard “shamrock” you likely can find in your yard. Eventually, these angled little pods will burst, scattering the seeds everywhere. (1987). Despite their use as shamrocks, the wood sorrels, etc. It has longer roots, enabling it to access water at deeper levels. The number three is significant in the Christian religion because of the doctrine of the Trinity. It is a native of South America, but has escaped its garden confines, frequently showing up in lawns and along sidewalks, forming patches or clumps. Borne in clusters atop softly downy stalks, these flamboyant, star-like blossoms bear five bright pink (sometimes white) petals, often finely striped. It was the priests of the ancient Celts, called "Druids," who elevated four-leaf clovers to the status of good luck charms, potent against evil spirits. It out-competes weeds fairly well, thus reducing the need to apply herbicides. Just the other day, while mowing my lawn, I purposefully spared a patch of it from the whirling blades: it’s awfully pretty, I think. Other names are ‘sourgrass’ or ‘pink shamrock’ (However real Irish Shamrock is white clover). Ten stamens will be present inside a flower, forming two whorls, with five short and five long. Wildfire is uncommon.[1]. Here are the qualities the ideal living carpet of green would have: No grass has all of these qualities. Another closely related species has speckled leaflets, and grows in rich woods here in the Southeast. There is a variety rosea that has pink flowers. But if you are allergic to bee stings, to be on the safe side you can simply mow more frequently during the blooming season. The number three is significant in the Christian religion because of the doctrine of the Trinity. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Oxalis montana is a species of flowering plant in the family Oxalidaceae known by the common names mountain woodsorrel, wood shamrock, sours and white woodsorrel. But perhaps it is time to ask some basic questions about lawn care and the landscaping needs in front of a house. You see, we associate the classic "3 heart" shape … Once again, the problem stems from the use of common names, rather than scientific names. It is good for the environment, and it saves you money and labor. It can grow on flat ground or steep slopes. It is also dominant in northern hardwood forest habitat and its ecotones, in the understory of red or sugar maple (Acer rubrum or A. saccharum), yellow birch (Betula lutea), and American beech (Fagus grandifolia). But there is no way of determining with certainty the exact plant referred to in the legend. So let's consider having clover replace grass as the living carpet of choice (even if only partially, in the form of a beneficial mix of grass and clover).
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