photo courtesy East Tenn. University
The common shamrock or white clover (Trifolium repens) is native to Ireland and is found all over the world. This simple and common plant is steeped in mysticism and was revered by ancient Greeks, Romans, and pre-Christian Celts long before St. Patrick came along! It was used as a charm against evil and as a natural remedy! St. Patrick, while introducing Christianity to the Celts of Ireland, used the three leaves of the shamrock as an illustration of the Trinity concept. Then, it became a Christian symbol and considered lucky!
What is a shamrock, really? What greenhouses call a shamrock is Oxalis regnellii and is showy, easy to grow, but is native to South America and is not a clover!
A real shamrock is a clover. The blossoms are used as a tea for a spring tonic and blood purifier! A strong tea can be made and rubbed on the skin for boils, ulcers, and other skin problems.
The water shamrock or bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliate) is another common clover. It is traditionally used for rheumatism, osteo-arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis! Since water shamrock is diuretic and can have laxative effects, do not use it if you have colitis, diverticulitis, or diarrhea. It does stimulate digestion and bile flow; therefore it helps the liver and gall bladder to work better!
Then, there is red clover (Trifolium pretense), which is one of the world’s oldest agricultural crop and the most used in natural remedies. The flowers are used to make a delightful tea full of vitamin C among other things and restores the body’s alkaline balance. Red clover flowers have a history of use for cancer; however doctors and scientists disagree with its use for that purpose. It does appear to have some anti-tumor properties, though. Chinese medicine lists red clover as an expectorant and Russian natural practitioners use it for asthma.
For children, a tea of red clover as a skin wash for childhood eczema seems to work well and can be effective for other chronic skin conditions. It is an effective treatment for coughs, bronchitis, and the whooping cough, too.
Lucky? Yes, the shamrock is lucky and then some!
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