Oxalis

Day 156: This is not a shamrock, and I'm Scottish, but hey, I can wish you a happy St. Patrick's Day! This, my friends, is Oxalis oregana, not at all related to the true "shamrock" clover which makes Ireland so green. In fact, there is some debate over which Trifolium species (clover) is actually the shamrock of Ireland, Trifolium dubium or T. repens, both of which grow in profusion there. The confusion began when an English botanist claimed that Oxalis acetosella (Wood Sorrel) was the "true" shamrock back in the first half of the 19th century. Why he made the assertion is uncertain, but the myth was born in that moment. Today, we see pots of "shamrocks" in greenhouses and garden departments; some are green, some maroon, some marked with both colours, joyously perpetuating the misconception. Tell a lie often enough, and you'll find that people come to believe it. Sometimes, you may even believe it yourself, so let's set the record straight. Oxalis may have three leaves, but it's only a sham clover.