Shamrock

Illustration of a green four leaf clover on a white background

The shamrock is a symbol of Ireland. In the legend of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, he used the shamrock to  to illustrate the concept of the Holy Trinity while converting the Irish to Christianity.

The term shamrock was first linked to a recognizable plant – clover – by English herbalist, John Gerard, in 1596. When depicted with four leaves as shown in this button, it is considered a good luck charm. It is estimated that the four-leaf clover occurs once in every 10,000 plants.