Trefoil, also commonly known as clover, is part of the pea plant family. The plant is called trefoil because it usually has three leaflets. The plant can only grow in temperate regions, which means it can only grow in areas with moderate temperatures; the plant cannot survive in extreme temperatures like the Middle East. Examples of temperate regions include the United States, Canada, and countries in Europe and Central Asia. Read further to find out what does the five leave clover mean.
The most common types of clover that we see are white and red clover. The white clovers, also known as the Trifolium repens, are more common than the red clovers. Usually, most clovers have 3 leaves, but in case of some mutation, there may be up to six leaves, but these mutated versions of the otherwise 3 leave clover are very rare. In case of a mutation, there can be as many as six leaves, but since the occurrence of this mutation is so rare, finding these mutated versions are thought to bring good fortune. The probability of finding a clover with even four leaves is very low.
4 leave clover
The four-leave clover is the result of a mutation in the regular white clover plant. However, the chances of a mutation are very low, and the probability of finding a 4 leave clover is one is 10,000. Plants that have a single four clovers sometimes have either all four leave clovers or a few more four leave clovers. Since it is hard to find, people believe only lucky individuals can find one.
The four-leave clover has been considered as a sign of good luck for centuries now. About thousands of years ago, the Celtic priests would carry the 4 leaf clovers with themselves as they believed that find a rare thing like it meant good luck. According to the Celtic priests, the four leaves represent hope, faith, love, and good luck. It is believed that the most four leave clovers can be found in Ireland. Most four leave clovers have slight differences compared to the normal 3 leave clovers; they might have a slightly different shade of green, their leaves are smaller in size.
Five leave clover
The custom of looking for four or more leaves on a clover is also known as the St. Patrick’s Day tradition. The five leave clovers, just like the four leave clover, are also due to a mutation because, in normal circumstances, the plant has 3 leaves. It is believed that it is due to a genetic mutation, i.e., some error in the DNA of the affected clover plant. However, the actual cause for this mutation is still controversial. Some believe that mutations are due to environmental factors, but there isn’t much evidence to prove that either, so the cause for more than normal leaves is still enigmatic.
The excessive leaves on the plant are due to a recessive gene. If both of the plant’s genes are recessive, the plant would have four, five, or even six clovers. However, the chances of a plant getting both recessive genes are very low, and that is why finding four, five, or even six leave clovers are so hard. The five leave clovers are ten times rarer than the four leave clover as there is one five leave clover in a million clovers.
What does it mean?
Like the four-leave clover, the five-leave clover is also considered a sign of good fortune. Since it is even harder to find than the four-leave clover, it is believed to bring even more good luck. Their quality of being rare is the reason why they are valued so much. Each of the leaves on the five leave clover has a distinct meaning. The first four bring represent hope, faith, love, and good luck to the finder, and the fifth leave is supposed to bring the finder financial gains. It is believed that more the leaves on the clover mean more luck and fortune for the finder.
6 leave clover
The six leave clovers, just like four, and five leave clovers are also due to a mutation. The transfer of both the recessive genes causes the plant to produce more than three leaves. Like the four and five leave clover, the six leave clover is also very rare. It is even rarer than the five leave clover, and the probability of finding one is one in 100 million. The five leaves are meant to bring hope, faith, love, good luck, and financial gains; however, there isn’t a specific meaning attached to the sixth leave. Since there are more leaves, it means more luck. The probability of finding one is very low, which is why it is valued so much.
7 leave clover
This mutated version of clover is extremely rare. It is so rare that most people don’t even know that a 7 leaflet clover exists. This is because they are the rarest among the mutated versions of clovers, and the probability of finding a 7 leaf clover is one in 250 million. With that said, every time someone would find a seven-leaf clover, it would draw much attention from social media. Some even describe finding one as wining 5 consecutive lotteries.
Since meaning has only been attached to five clover leaves, the other two leaves do not have a specified meaning attached to them, but like the other mutated versions, they are also believed to bring good luck. Due to the sparse probability of finding one, they are described as ultra-good luck. People make pendants or even sell them at exorbitant rates to the firm believers of the St. Patrick’s Day tradition.
Conclusion
To sum it up, any clover you find that has more than 3 leaves is a mutated version of the otherwise 3 leaf clover. Since these mutations are very rare, finding four, five, six, or seven leaf clovers is very hard. Due to this sparse presence, they are considered to bring good luck to the finder. Each of the leaves has a different meaning attached to it. For example, the meaning of the five leaves are hope, faith, love, good luck, and financial gains; however, there isn’t a specific meaning attached to the sixth leave and seventh leaves. Since there are more leaves, it means more luck. The probability of finding a five-leave clover is one in a million.
