Looking for a 4-leaf clover in honor of St. Patrick’s Day? Why stop there? You can make clover foraging part of your array of wild edibles and search all year long.

Speaking as someone who has a knack for finding 4-leaf clovers and sometimes even 5, 6, or 7-leafed ones, the more time you spend in clover fields, the more likely you’ll find a 4-leafed one. Foraging for wild clover is a great way to get outside and get lucky in your search for free wild food.

How to Eat Wild Clover

Clover is actually in the pea family, which makes sense because its small delicate flowers resemble pea pods of the flowers of wild sweet pea plants.

Clovers have red or white blossoms which are fully edible. They can be added to salads and may have medicinal properties. Steeping them into tea for 3-4 minutes and adding honey for flavor amplifies the benefits.

You can eat clovers raw, the flowers dried into a tea, in salads as leafy greens and even in soups. The flowers have pain-relieving properties and may help as a sleep aid.

Safety Tip: While 4, 5, 6 or 7 leafed clovers are amazing and beautiful, they may be a sign the clovers aren’t safe to eat. Plants that frequently grow leaves with more than 3 segments are likely heavily fertilized since producing more leaves is a sign of a genetic mutation. If you find a patch of clover with many mutant leaves, move on and don’t eat from that plant.

Add clover to your list of green light wild edibles you can easily recognize and pick up most times of year in the Pacific Northwest. If you’re afraid to begin foraging but are interested in picking up the awesome natural activity, read our post on Foraging Safety Tips to quell your fears and stay safe.

 

Photos: Takashi M., John, Bernhard Friess

By Elizabeth Adan

Elizabeth Adan is a Freelance Writer, Publicist and Brand Ambassador. Her blog Aquaberry Bliss is a unique outdoor lifestyle blog dedicated to expanding your world and inspiring your creativity. When Elizabeth isn’t traveling, you’ll find her writing, hiking or gardening. Find Elizabeth on Twitter @stillaporcupine and on LinkedIn.

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