13 Things You Didn't Know About Four Leaf Clovers

1 Four-leaf clovers are uncommon, but not rare. They actually spring up as one out of every 40 regular shamrock (three-leaf) clovers. Our perception that they are rare comes from the fact that few people ever actually look for them.

2 In 2006, Ed Martin, Sr., of Cooper Landing, Alaska, found more than 1,000 four-leaf clovers in a single day.

3 Four-leafers are considered lucky because, according to Irish legend, St. Patrick used the Shamrock's three leaves to teach the pagans about Christianity, with each leaf representing the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, respectively. The 4^th leaf, he said, represents God's Grace, granted upon the clover's finder.

4 The belief has since been abridged to 'One for faith, one for hope, the third for love - and the fourth for luck!'

5 Clovers can also occur with five, or even more leaves. The same mutation that gives rise to the 4^th leaf can also generate even more (though additional leaves are proportionally rare).

6 The 5^th leaf is generally considered to be extra-lucky.

7 The most leaves ever found on a single clover (that was confirmed) is 18 (see picture 2). It was from Japan.

8 Clovers cover the globe, growing on every continent but Antarctica.

9 Clovers have even been to the moon. More than one Apollo astronaut carried a four-leafed charm into space, for luck.

10 Most four-leaf clovers found for sale are fakes. They are taken from plants that look similar to clover, but always have four leaves.

11 Many card games begin with the 4 of clubs leading out, as a reference to the four-leaf clover; as with the genuine article, it is thought to bring the 'finder' good luck. At the least, that person gets to play first...

12 Abraham Lincoln was said to always carry a four-leaf clover, except on the night of his infamous visit to Ford's Theatre. He survived at least five previous assassination attempts.

13 Napoleon Bonaparte also was saved from certain death by a four-leaf clover. A bullet narrowly missed his head when he suddenly bent down to pick one.