Since the age of 13, I’ve loved hunting for four leaf clovers! I even skipped out of having to walk around the track in 9th grade cause my gym teacher let me hunt for four leaf clovers instead! I find it incredibly relaxing and fun and I especially like the payoff of being able to give someone a gift of a four (sometimes five) leaf clover.

Finding a four leaf clover isn’t as hard as you might think…here’s my tips for finding these rare gems!

The Perfect Spot

Look for a patch of grass with a bed of clovers to begin. I like to start in a big patch and work my way around. If I look for while in one spot with no results, I often will move to a new spot in the patch. Supposedly there is 1 four leaf clover for every 10,000 three leaf clover, but oftentimes, when I find one four leaf clover, I find two or three more right around it (which makes me think they are little genetic freaks of nature).

Be patient

While I think I’m pretty good at finding them, I have searched in a patch for more than an hour without finding one! For the most part, though, I can find a four leaf clover after several minutes. Don’t get frustrated. It just takes a little bit of time. Part of that time is just trying to get your eye to differentiate between a three leaf clover and a four leaf clover. Hang in there.

Be a keen observer

Get down in the patch and explore. Yes, you will look like a weirdo to someone passing by and more than likely, someone will come up to you and ask what you’ve lost. The closer you get to actually SEE and open your eyes to a four leaf clover, the more likely you are to find one. Rake through the patch with your hands, observing little sections at a time…I promise the payoff will be grand. Also, don’t let your eyes fool you! People often see two clovers together and are fooled into thinking it’s a four leaf clover!

Be open to even cooler discoveries!

On many occasions, I’ve found five leaf clovers as well! Once, I even found a 12 leaf clover! In one patch alone, I found over 30 four leaf, 5 leaf, and 7 leaf clovers. I’m lucky…after my hunt I didn’t turn into the Toxic Avenger. It was so bizarre that whole patch was mutant clovers!

Preserve your finds

Keep some clear tape available and press your found four leaf clover between the strips. Cut around it if desired. Seriously, this is one of the best gifts you can give to people! They are always amazed you took the time to find a clover for them! Oh, and FYI, not all four leaf clovers are as picture perfect as ones you might have seen in your dreams. A lot are a little gnarly, bug bitten, or irregular in leaf shapes. I have found quite a few perfect ones, though, so they are out there to be found!

Happy Hunting!

Admittedly, I don’t get outside enough just to enjoy nature. Stopping to search the clovers is a nice way to get outside and just let my mind wander. It’s great to get away from the computer every now and then and breathe fresh air!

Let me know if you take any of my four leaf clover-finding advice! I’d love to see what you find!

Until next time Swellions!