The Garden Bug: Shamrocks

By Brenda Weaver

The Irish word seamróg means "little clover" or "young clover". According to legend, St. Patrick used the three leaves of a seamróg to explain the Holy Trinity; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were each represented by one of its leaves. Some plants considered shamrocks include the wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella), white clover (Trifolium repens), suckling clover (T. dubium) and black medic (Medicago lupulina). Clover flowers are attractive to bees, its roots host nitrogen-fixing bacteria that enrich the soil, and the plants are high-quality forage for many animals.

Source: www.almanac.com, wikipedia.org