The original Irish shamrock (traditionally spelled seamróg, which means “summer plant”) is said by many authorities to be none other than white clover (Trifolium repens), a common lawn weed originally native to Ireland. It is a vigorous, rhizomatous, stem-rooting perennial with trifoliate leaves.

Do shamrocks grow in America?

According to Irish folklore, the shamrock is so entirely Irish it won't even grow on foreign soil. And in America, only the three-leaved image of the shamrock persists, having been associated with Irish immigrant communities for more than 100 years—it's just as important on St.

Are shamrocks only found in Ireland?

None of the species in the survey are unique to Ireland, and all are common European species, so there is no botanical basis for the belief that the shamrock is a unique species of plant that only grows in Ireland.