Why Are Four-Leaf Clovers So Hard To Find? (2024)

FAQs

Why Are Four-Leaf Clovers So Hard To Find? ›

Trifolium is a Latin word that means "three leaf." That explains why 99.99% of clovers you find only have three leaves. Clovers with four (or more) leaves are the result of mutations or recessive genes in the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of clover plants.

Whereas human chromosomes come in matched pairs, clovers have four copies of each chromosome per cell. The gene responsible for four-leaf clovers is 'recessive', which means that the plant will only produce four leaves if it has the four-leaf gene on all four chromosomes, which is a rare occurrence.

Find a thick patch and slowly brush your hand over the surface. The center of a four-leaf clover has a different shape and the fourth leaf is often smaller than the others. These anomalies will naturally register the eye's attention. Gradually widen your search until you get “lucky.”

According to The Weather Network, a four-leaf clover is rare, and difficult to find. A quick Google search said the odds are 1 in 10,000, but a 2017 study says chances are much better, with a 1 in 5,000 chance. Inside Science also reported 1 in 10,000 odds.

It's estimated that you have a 1 in 100,000 chance of finding a five-leaf clover, compared to a 1 in 10,000 chance of finding a four-leaf clover.

There are approximately 10,000 three-leaf clovers for every “lucky” four-leaf clover. There are no clover plants that naturally produce four leaves, which is why four-leaf clovers are so rare. The leaves of four-leaf clovers are said to stand for faith, hope, love, and luck.

The previous record for the most leaves on a clover was set in 2009 by Shigeo Obara from Hanamaki City, Japan, who grew a 56-leaf clover. Yoshiharu recalled that he had hand-pollinated clovers with the most leaves in addition to natural pollination.

As stated, clovers can have more than four leaves. 5-leaf clovers are less commonly found naturally than 4-leaf clovers; however, they too have been successfully cultivated. Some 4-leaf clover collectors, particularly in Ireland, regard the 5-leaf clover, known as a rose clover, as a particular prize.

While trying to convert the Irish into Christians, St. Patrick used the shamrock to explain the holy trinity with each leaf representing the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The three leaves of a shamrock are also said to stand for faith, hope and love. A fourth leaf is where we get the luck from.

A common belief during the Middle Ages was if someone carried a four-leaf clover, they would have the ability to see fairies.

Where is the best place to find a four-leaf clover? ›

Walk around areas with a lot of leaves and trees, like parks and trials, to seek out clover patches. If you have a backyard, look there as well. Clovers often grow in lawns.

Stay on your feet, and let your eyes scan a patch of clover rather than staring at individual plants. You're looking for anomalies in the pattern, especially in the white parts of the leaflet. Regular clover has an inner white pattern that loosely resembles a triangle.

Only one shamrock in every few thousand has more than three leaves, notes Minori Mori, a 12th grader at Meikei High School in Tsukuba, Japan. Some companies sell clover seeds that will grow into plants that are more likely to produce four leaves. But even in plants grown from these seeds, four-leafed ones remain rare.

Walk around areas with a lot of leaves and trees, like parks and trials, to seek out clover patches. If you have a backyard, look there as well. Clovers often grow in lawns.

Some companies sell clover seeds that will grow into plants that are more likely to produce four leaves. But even in plants grown from these seeds, four-leafed ones remain rare.

The probability of finding a four-leaf clover is 1-in-10,000.