Have you ever heard the story that finding a four-leaf clover will bring you good fortune? If you are fascinated with this story and hope to find one, you might not know what exactly a four-leaf clover looks like. 

In fact, there are many sayings about the different species of four-leaf clover, and the woodsorrel is one of them.

The woodsorrel is a flowering plant that is widely distributed around the world, especially in Asia. It has heart-shaped leaflets and usually appears in groups of three. The four-leaved one is a cultivar. It is very common in southern parts of China, as you can find they almost everywhere on hillsides, fields, on riverbanks and by the road.

Woodsorrel is also famous for being a spice, and its sour taste is considered to be special and refreshing. Records showed that ancient Chinese people used to make it into drinks during the hot summer. The famous gourmet and literati, Su Shi, used the woodsorrel in his famous Dongpo pork dish.

The woodsorrel's flowers are tiny, and they range from purple, white to yellow. The blooming period for a woodsorrel is quite long, typically lasting from February to September. Because of its high vitality, the woodsorrel will grow and thrive rapidly in an area, meaning you do not want to plant them in your garden. Instead, go into the field and look for their colorful little flowers there. THey might lead you to a fortune without taking over all of your other plants.

Read more from the Season of Flower series:

Season of flower

(Cover image via VCG)

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