The Garden Bug: The true shamrock of Ireland

By Brenda Weaver

Two separate surveys were done in Ireland, one in 1893 and one in 1988. Both asked for examples of what people throughout the country considered to be the "true" shamrock, which were then identified botanically. The results of both surveys were very similar: Trifolium dubium (lesser clover, shown below) was the top selection, followed closely by Trifolium repens (white clover).

Source: wikipedia.org, www.claddaghdesign.com