THE APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF CLOVER SPECIES, WHICH BELONG TO THE GENUS TRIFOLIUM
Numbers in the News: Clovers
On March 17, you’ll see a lot of shamrocks—the symbol of Ireland—in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. Shamrocks are a type of clover. Check out some facts and figures about this bright-green plant.
LINDA FRESHWATERS ARNDT/SCIENCE SOURCE
300
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
3
The usual number of leaves on a clover. Occasionally, the plant grows more—like the “lucky” four-leaf clover.
1 IN 5,076
The odds of finding a four-leaf clover among a field of three-leafed clovers
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
56
THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF LEAVES EVER RECORDED ON A SINGLE STEM OF CLOVER
4OO YEARS
The age of the book containing the first written reference to four-leaf clovers and good luck
THINK ABOUT IT: What are some other iconic holiday plants? Write down as many as you can, then compare your list with your classmates’ and see how many you came up with altogether.
SOURCES: GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS, SHARE THE LUCK, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, IRISH NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDENS
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