Oxallis is Sorrel, Tripholium is Clover, Shamrocks are both
Most of the clover in nature is 3-leaf Tripholium, so plants with 4-leaves were thought to bring good luck to anyone who found them. Some gardeners plant Tripholium (white, yellow and red clover) , to feed bees, butterflies and aphid-eating wasps. Landscapers and home-owners who prize perfect lawns spray herbicides to kill any clover that appears. The three-leafed Shamrock worn on hats for St. Patrick’s Day is considered to represent the Holy Trinity. The name Oxalis came from the Greek oxys or sharp, referring to the plants’ acidic taste. In the 1600s people living off the land ate the protein and nutrient rich leaves and flowers of clover to improve their diets when greens were in short supply. Second only to potatoes in popularity, Oxalis tuberosa produces a widely-cultivated, edible, tuber. Source: http://www.cipotato.org. The plants sold as shamrocks around St. Patrick’s Day are often Oxalis which has clover shaped leaves in green, red, burgundy, purple and a variety of c...