Have you ever wondered about the bundles of bamboo stems you see for sale just about everywhere, from novelty stores to warehouse clubs?They’re called “lucky bamboo,” and despite their ubiquitous presen
06.06.2023 - 16:40 / gardenerspath.com / Nan Schiller
How to Grow and Care for Shamrock Indoors Oxalis spp.My first shamrock was more than a houseplant. It was a link to my Irish grandma and the folks in County Cork I’d never known – or so I thought.
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I later learned that there is nothing Irish about a shamrock plant, but the flowers and foliage are pretty and Oxalis are long-lived species.
Join me to discuss the shamrock plant and how to grow and care for your own houseplant.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Let’s start with some background.
Cultivation and HistoryThe word shamrock is Irish for “little clover,” and clover species belong to the Fabaceae or pea family.
They have three-lobed leaflets – unless you genuinely have the luck o’ the Irish and find one with four. Saint Patrick is said to have used a type of clover leaf to explain the Holy Trinity, elevating the tiny leaf to a position of honor.
He might have used white clover, Trifoliumrepens, a species with white flowers that often grows in our lawns.
Or perhaps lesser trefoil, T. dubium, a three-leafed species with yellow blossoms.
There is debate about which of the clovers is the “true” Irish shamrock. White clover is plentiful, growing as feed for grazing animals. There’s not much magic in that.
But the lesser trefoil is a perky little wildflower whose ubiquitous presence is as beloved as the leprechaun. It’s no wonder many accept it as the true shamrock.
However, these clover species are not showy and don’t do well as houseplants.
Our subject shamrocks are neither white clover nor lesser trefoil. They are not any type of Trifolium species, nor are they in the pea family.
They are imposters.
The shamrock plants we buy
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