Lots of people know lucky clover from the small flower pot arrangements with chimney sweeps and little pigs that are sold in large numbers on New Year's Eve as a motivator to start the new year. The pretty plant is also very popular as an ornamental plant. In addition, lucky clover is widespread in a wide variety of trades as a strong symbol.

Lucky clover likes to spend the summer outdoors

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Portrait of lucky clover
  3. species and varieties
  4. The care
  5. Buy lucky clover
  6. Lucky clover symbolism
  7. Lucky clover as a gift
  8. Lucky clover as a decorative symbol
  9. frequently asked Questions

    10. the essentials in brief

    • Lucky clover has four-part bicolor leaves and bears red flowers in late spring
    • Lucky clover is very easy to care for
    • However, lucky clover is not hardy and must be overwintered in a warm pot or as a tuber in newspaper
    • Lucky clover is considered a lucky charm in many cultures and even in the Christian religion

    Botanical portrait of the lucky clover

    The lucky clover, botanically Oxalis tetraphylla, is a species of the sour clover genus - so it has nothing to do with real clover species. A second common name that is not quite as symbolic is four-leaf sorrel.

    In this country, the attractive plant is very popular as an indoor and outdoor plant - and not without reason: the lucky clover has a high decorative value with its two-tone leaves in fresh green and bordeaux-red to purple-colored middle color. But what makes it even more sympathetic to many a plant lover is its strong association with happiness. After all, its leaves are always fingered in four parts - and four-leaf clover leaves are known to be the ultimate symbol of luck.

    The ornamental value of the lucky clover also comes from other growth characteristics:

    • leaf shape: inverted triangular, heart-shaped due to an indentation at the front edge, very fine, gentle structure
    • sheet size: 20 to 65 cm
    • stems: fine, dark petioles
    • particularities: Leaflets always align sensitively to the light and fold up in the dark

    In April and June, the lucky clover brings out another pleasant ornament in addition to its beautiful foliage: the long-stemmed, pink to scarlet flowers are just as filigree as the foliage with delicate, fivefold funnel inflorescences, which are held together in pseudo umbels. After flowering and a phase of regeneration, small, pointed capsule fruits form, in which tiny seeds are located.

    Lucky clover bears beautiful red flowers

    Lucky clover is a perennial and grows between 15 and 40 cm high. It grows from bulbs, from which a completely underground shoot stems. So the lucky plant comes back every year. Oxalis tetraphylla originally comes from Mexico. It was there that the German naturalist Ferdinand Deppe discovered it. In the meantime, however, the species has also become wild in Europe as well as in Asia, Africa and Australia.

    digression

    clover and milk

    Did you know that lucky clover not only appears in playful handicrafts, but also has something to do with the elite of haute couture? In fact, he has, with none other than fashion tsar Karl Lagerfeld. The Hamburg-born designer was the son of Otto Lagerfeld, a condensed milk manufacturer whose entrepreneurial creation was the so-called Glücksklee-Milch GmbH. After initially importing canned milk from America with his company Lagerfeld & Co, Lagerfeld Sr. founded his own brand called 'Glücksklee' in 1923. This was a leader in the canned milk sector for a long time.
    Today, the Glücksklee brand belongs to Hochwald Foods GmbH, which has several brands producing milk, cream, condensed milk and cheese, such as Bärenmarke, Lünebest, Elinas or Hochwald, as well as private labels such as ja!, K-Klassik or TIP.

    species and varieties

    Lucky clover forms its own species within the sorrel family and is not related to white clover, which is all too familiar from garden lawns. But with the dark-leaved horn sorrel (Oxalis corniculata), which, like white clover, is considered an annoying weed in the lawn. There are only a few special breeds of Oxalis tetraphylla. Oxalis tetraphylla Alba is a white-flowering and therefore unusual variety. The Iron Cross variety, which is characterized by a particularly dark, violet central marking on the leaves, is quite common.

    How do you care for lucky clover?

    Lucky clover is not only visually a very likeable plant - due to its relatively profane care requirements, it is also an extremely pleasant roommate for many beginners. If you think about your location, water and light requirements a bit, you can even successfully continue cultivating a small New Year's Eve plant.

    Let's first provide a brief overview of the most important care measures. Below you will find everything explained again in detail.

    location substrate pour repot hibernate multiply
    very bright, best at the window, rather cool in winter (10 to 15°C), likes to be outside in summer, not too dry air humus rich, well drained soil water moderately, always allow the surface of the pot to dry before watering, significantly reduce or stop watering in winter (when overwintering as a tuber) only necessary when the pot has become too small, preferably in spring either with or without plant parts above ground: with stems and leaves in a cool, bright place, water moderately, for overwintering as a retracted tuber: stop watering completely from August. Hibernation is also possible outdoors with a certain risk 1. By division method: Divide onion bulbs in spring or (for rearing up to New Year's Eve) in late summer/autumn and place in substrate 2. By sowing: Collect seeds in autumn and sow them 3. By cuttings method: Cut cuttings, preferably in spring and in Allow water or soil to root

    location

    As a location, lucky clover prefers a bright, well-lit place, both in summer and in winter. If you are given a pot of lucky clover with chimney sweeps, ladybugs and the like, it is best to place it by a window where it gets enough light. Otherwise he quickly leaves the leaves hanging.

    Also make sure that the Ambient air not too dry is. When the heating is on, you can put a bowl of water in the room to evaporate. In principle, however, the lucky clover should be cooler during the winter than at the usual living temperature, around 10 to 15°C. If you have a window seat in an unheated stairwell or a cold house, you should overwinter your lucky clover there.

    In the summer, the lucky clover likes to go outside. You can put it in a pot on the patio or balcony or plant it out in the bed. Choose a sunny, sheltered spot for him there.

    substrate

    It is best to plant a lucky clover in humus-rich, well-drained soil. To loosen up the substrate, mix in some sand.

    pour

    Lucky clover must not be watered too much. If you keep him too wet, you may well ruin him. So only give it new water when the root ball has dried on the surface. Of course, this happens faster in summer than in winter. During the cold season, therefore, reduce watering to the bare minimum.

    repot

    A lucky clover rarely needs to be repotted. It's only time for a new pot when the old one has become too small and the root ball looks gnarled and worn out. The best time for repotting is early spring. Take the bulbs out of the old pot and place them in a larger planter filled with fresh, loamy soil that has been loosened with sand. It then takes about 6 to 8 weeks until they sprout.

    hibernate

    While wood sorrel is very hardy, lucky clover does not tolerate sub-zero temperatures

    Instead of overwintering it in the room with its pretty foliage, you can also let the lucky clover move in and bring it over the winter as a tuber. This eliminates the need for care - but also the beautiful sight and the encouraging factor at the turn of the year. If you want to let the plant overwinter as a tuber, simply stop watering in the fall. In the spring, the pot is then placed back in the light and gradually watered so that the clover sprout again.

    Lucky clover is only conditionally hardy. Normally you should not expose it to double-digit minus temperatures, even if you overwinter it as a tuber. If you have planted it outdoors, there is no guarantee that it will come back next year. If there are no longer periods of frost with temperatures below -10°C, you have a good chance.

    multiply

    There are three ways to propagate a lucky clover plant:

    • division
    • sowing
    • cuttings

    division

    As a bulbous plant, lucky clover is easiest to propagate using the division method. You can use these either in spring or in late summer/early fall. Late summer is ideal for division propagation if you want to bring the lucky clover in time for New Year's Eve as a souvenir for friends.
    For this purpose, it is no longer watered from late summer, so that the above-ground part of the plant moves in. From September you can then get the tubers out of the ground and divide them. Place the divided tuber parts in pots with fresh soil. Water the divided and planted tuber regularly and place the pot in a light location.

    sowing

    Alternatively, you can also multiply lucky clover by sowing. To do this, collect the small seeds from the capsule fruits in late summer and sow them directly in autumn. In this way you can also grow plants for New Year's Eve.

    cuttings

    The plant can also be propagated by cuttings. This is possible all year round. It is best to cut cuttings in the spring. You can root them in a glass of water or directly in soil that is kept moist.

    tips

    When it comes to propagation, a word of caution needs to be said: if you plant the lucky clover outdoors and live in a warm region with mild winters, it can also spread and become a burden. Its tubers form strong runners, which means that it multiplies quickly underground.

    Buy lucky clover

    If you would like to purchase an Oxalis tetraphylla specimen, you can of course buy a ready-grown lucky clover in a pot. Depending on where you do this, however, the growing conditions can make it difficult to continue growing at home.

    You can find mini pot arrangements that you can quickly pull out for New Year's Eve in every supermarket, including discounters such as Lidl, Aldi or Netto. In the plant centers of hardware stores such as Obi, Hagebaumarkt and Co. you will also find undecorated, larger specimens.

    tips

    However, moving to a different environment - i.e. to your home - is always somewhat stressful for the lucky clover. Be especially careful the first time after you buy it: if the leaves droop, gently adjust to the ambient conditions: with more light, cooler temperatures and higher humidity.

    If you want to grow your lucky clover yourself and avoid relocation problems, you can also buy bulbs or seeds. Both are offered in specialist shops and above all by seed mail order companies, and for the most part also on the Internet.

    The high symbolism of the lucky clover

    Lucky clover is not only beautiful to look at, its four-part pinnate leaves are also strongly symbolic. While four-part leaves are rarely found in common white clover, they are the rule in lucky clover. What is a rarity in real clover species is offered here in abundance. It is therefore not surprising that the plant is considered a great lucky charm.

    In the Celts, four-leaf clover was ascribed a magical power, the activation of which was the responsibility of the high spiritual leaders, the druids.

    In the Christian faith, the four-leaf clover is also a central symbol. It represents both the cross and the four evangelists. In the biblical story of creation, it is also a four-leaf clover that Eve carries with her as a reminder when she is banished from the Garden of Eden. According to this legend, the four-leaf clover also has a piece of paradise attached to it.

    In the Middle Ages, the four-leaf clover was widespread as a lucky charm in Christian and pagan cultures everywhere. Such a precious piece of paper was a popular choice, especially for uncertain undertakings: when travelling, for example, it was customary to sew one into one's clothing.

    Lucky clover as a gift

    The lucky clover is a beautiful, symbolic gift

    To make your friends and relatives happy at the turn of the year, you can also design your own variants of the typical lucky clover pots from the supermarket. With offshoots of your plant and an individual selection of decorations, the standard gift for the New Year's Eve celebration gets a much more personal touch.

    Of course, all other well-known lucky symbols such as a chimney sweep figure, a lucky penny, a little pig, a ladybug, a horseshoe or a toadstool can be used as decorative objects to encourage the start of the new year. You can find such symbols in the form of figures made of various materials such as chenille wire, wood, plastic, raffia or foam in handicraft shops or in supermarkets with larger, well-stocked household goods departments. Of course, if you are dexterous and enjoy creative handicrafts, you can also make such decorative figures yourself.

    Your New Year's lucky clover will of course be even more personal if you design it beyond these usual decoration ideas. For example, with symbols that match the individual plans of the recipient. Figures or pictures that remind you of special goals you have set can be a nice gesture and provide a lot of motivation.

    Of course, lucky clover is also suitable as a gift for other occasions than New Year's Eve. After all, good luck is also wished for a birthday, confirmations and communions, weddings or housewarming parties herald a new phase of life for which happiness, courage and cheerfulness can be used just as much as at the beginning of a new calendar year.

    Lucky clover as a decorative symbol

    The pretty, heart-shaped shape of the large individual feathers and their green-burgundy coloring have made lucky shamrocks a popular emblem on everyday objects. Zippers on zips or buttons on clothing, purses or bags are often decorated with the contours of a four-leaf clover. The almost round shape is also ideal for this.

    A young brand from the German company Dernier, under which elegant, urban leather bags and purses for women are sold, has dedicated itself entirely to the popular lucky plant with the name 'Gluuxklee'. A metal pendant in the form of a lucky cloverleaf serves as the brand emblem for many products.

    Lucky clover leaves are also a very popular decorative motif for handicrafts - also against the symbolic background of the medieval custom of sewing travel clothes. The typical four-leaf clover shape is often used as cute knobs on knitted jumpers for children, as a row pattern on borders, as an original shape for crocheted pot holders or coasters. Accordingly, numerous instructions and templates for knitting, crocheting, painting, handicrafts or drawing can be found in handicraft books and in DYS forums on the Internet.

    Here is a nice video tutorial for a simple, very decorative crochet shamrock:

    Children also have a lot of fun with creative activities involving the lucky clover: the symmetrical arrangement of the heart-shaped leaf offers many opportunities to try out color arrangements. The cloverleaf motif is therefore often found in coloring pages or coloring pictures.

    Of course, the four-leaf clover has long since arrived in the digital realm. In every clipart archive you will always find a shamrock template to insert into homepages, electronic greeting cards or invitations that have to do with luck, nature or a happy future in the broadest sense.

    If you want to let luck get right under your skin, you can have a four-leaf clover tattooed on you - a practical thing for the cautious among the tattoo fans, who have become more numerous today, because such a small leaf motif is not big, can be placed on inconspicuous parts of the body and can unfold its own personal effect there.

    frequently asked Questions

    Is lucky clover poisonous?

    No, lucky clover is not poisonous to humans, cats or other pets. However, its leaves contain oxalic acid, which should not be consumed in large quantities. If an inquisitive four-legged friend or a toddler takes an above-average pleasure in literally gorging on happiness, you might want to place the plant out of reach.

    Can you eat lucky clover?

    Lucky clover is not only non-toxic, but even edible. You can eat both its leaves and especially the onion. Due to the oxalic acid content mentioned above, however, the consumption of the leaves must be kept to a minimum. But there is nothing wrong with a decorative, original salad garnish with a few pretty leaves.

    The onion of the lucky clover can be used culinary without any problems. If you dig them up and let them dry, you can cook them in a similar way to carrots.

    Is lucky clover hardy?

    Limited. If you plant your lucky clover in the summer and the winters in your region are not necessarily prone to longer periods with double-digit minus temperatures, the lucky clover can survive the winter outdoors. Overwintering him in a cold house or in a room is safer.

    What does lucky clover have to do with milk?

    This association is only vague for some of the younger generation, because the best times of the canned milk brand Glücksklee, founded by Karl Lagerfeld's father Otto Lagerfeld, are over. In the meantime, people are simply less likely to use condensed milk and are more likely to use soft packaging. For a long time, however, Glücksklee condensed milk was the market leader in Germany.

Category:

Indoor plants