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

THE APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF CLOVER SPECIES, WHICH BELONG TO THE GENUS TRIFOLIUM

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

Skills Sheets (2)
Skills Sheets (2)
Lesson Plan (1)
Text-to-Speech