EDIBLE MOUNTAIN – Clover

There are many folklores and charms when it comes to getting lucky in Appalachia. It’s been said that it’s bad luck to eat lettuce on a hot summer day. People also believe that placing parsley seeds on a fence post and allowing the wind to blow it off to sow it will clear them of any bad luck.

But, the most famous good luck charm in the world has got to be the four-leaf clover.
One old mountain lore is that a green salve of four-leaf clovers rubbed over your whole body is said to make you invisible but you cant miss even one wrinkle.

Chuck Kleine

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Red clover and white clover are the most common types of the plant we see in West Virginia.

Neither of them are native to the area and are considered one of the earliest plants brought by Europeans. Both red and white clover are edible and are often used like spinach in a salad.

Some folks use the flowers to make a clover jelly or steep them in water to make tea. The leaves of thye red clover can also be dried and used as a vanilla extract substitute.

Chuck Kleine

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There are a few native clover in West Virginia. The native Running Buffalo Clover has recently been removed from the endangered species list. Kate’s Mountain Clover is another native species, it is rare to find and stunning when in bloom.

Take some time to glance down at the next clover patch you see and have a closer look. The flowers are just beautiful, and maybe you’ll even find some luck hidden under your feet.