The Government of Ireland registered shamrock as a trademark. Tradition has it that St Patrick used the three-leaved plant to explain the Holy Trinity to the pre-Christian Irish people. However, according to the Oxford English Dictionary such was not recorded until 1726. Another Hibernian legend claims that the Druids believed shamrock was a sacred plant because its leaves formed a triad, three being a mystical number in their religion.
But botanically what plant is shamrock? The Irish Embassy is Ottawa is mute on the subject, ignoring requests for elucidation. This is strange since at least two studies conducted in the Emerald Isle delved down to the root of the matter.
Botanist Nathaniel Colgen, c.1893, in the Irish Naturalist stated it was Trifolium repens, white or Dutch clover. (Trifolium minus considered at one time to be a separate species but is really a form of T. repens). Clover in the Irish tongue is seamuir, also spelt seamair, the diminutive of which is seamróg. This has been anglicized to ‘shamrock.’
Almost a century later a second botanist, Dr. Charles Nelson, asked Irish people to collect and send to him shamrocks. The predominant was the annual clover Trifolium dubium, or lesser clover (seamair bhui), an annual.
James Armitage of the Royal Horticultural Society at Wisley remains unimpressed. “The plant itself is not particularly fascinating. It’s slightly weedy and grows in grassy areas and open ground,” he told BBC News on 17 March 2004.
Be that as it may, Montreal’s flag is a red cross on white background with a shamrock in the lower right quarter – and French, English and Scottish floral symbols in the other three. On the Irish flag, green stands for Catholics, orange for Protestants and white for a wish for harmony.
The colour green continues to be associated with all that is Irish – and not just in Ireland. Toronto Maple Leafs 1919-27 were known as the Toronto St. Patrick’s and wore green jerseys.
The pots of ‘shamrock’ offered by florists in the first half of March may indeed be “lucky clover” but with four leaves and grown from specially selected Trifolium seed produced in the Netherlands. Or it may be another plant altogether, Oxalis, with small white flowers.
The connection between Ireland and Canada continues. It is claimed that an Irish-Canadian botanist succeeded in crossing shamrock with poison ivy – and got a rash of good luck.
Wes Porter is a horticultural consultant and writer based in Toronto. Wes has over 40 years of experience in both temperate and tropical horticulture from three continents.
