A clover by any other name...
The word shamrock comes from the Irish word "seamrog" meaning
"little clover." In Ireland, the plant most often referred to
as shamrock is the white clover (trifolium stoloniferous). This
name has also been applied to woodsorrels (oxalis spp).
A perennial with trifoliate leaves, the white clover has stems that root
at the nodes, and white flowers. White clover is often planted in pasture
and forage mixes but also occurs as a significant weed of lawns, turfgrass,
landscapes, and orchards.
Although white clover is not native to North America, you can see a bit
of the Emerald Isle on any lawn in Pennsylvania that has not been treated
with herbicides. We are not sure how many species of clover there are
in Pennsylvania.
If
you can't travel all the way to Ireland to celebrate St. Partick's Day,
consider visiting an Irish sounding locale, such as McConnell’s Mill
State Park. Perhaps best known for the spectacular beauty of the Slippery
Rock Creek gorge, this National Natural Landmark also offers a diversity
of outdoor recreational opportunities including: Fishing, white water
boating, hiking, and rock-climbing. This is one of the earliest Western
Pennsylvania Conservancy projects, begun in the late 1940s and added to
as recently as 1984. More about McConnell’s
Mill State Park.
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