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Get Lucky with These St. Patrick’s Day-Inspired Plants
When we think of St. Patrick’s Day, shamrocks, green carnations, and Bells of Ireland are ubiquitous on this day. Each leaf of a shamrock symbolizes hope, faith, and love, and if a fourth leaf is present, good luck. Bells of Ireland also represent good luck, while green carnations are popular for their vibrant color.
There are, however, other plants, shrubs, trees, and conifers that have deep meaning and signify good fortune, luck, love, and prosperity. Some may surprise you!
White Oak
Quercus alba
For the Celts, the Tree of Life, Crann Bethadh, was inspired by the oak as it was the most highly regarded and sacred of all species. So ingrained in Celtic culture, historians say that the word “druid” comes from the Celtic word for acorn. Carrying acorns of White Oak trees is believed to bring good luck as well as immortality, healing, and protection. Whether you put them on your windowsill to ward off lightning strikes or wear them around your neck to prevent aging, oaks and their acorns are powerful! Specifically, White Oak is one of the most important native oak species in Wisconsin, supporting 180 different birds, mammals, moths, and insects. These giants of the landscape are keystone species and are a critical component in the food web. Plant more oaks and carry some acorns for good luck!
Category: Tree
Hardiness Zone: 4
Height: 80-100 feet
Spread: 50-80 feet
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Shape: Broad, Round
Catalog: #5 RootMakers
Emerald Arborvitae
Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd'
In folklore, Arborvitae is considered highly protective, bringing good luck, good health, and financial prosperity. Planting one (or many) in your yard is said to ensure prosperity. It is considered the “Grandmother Cedar” and Tree of Life in several indigenous cultures across North America and has strong roots in creation myths. Emerald Arborvitae specifically, is prized for its bright emerald-green foliage that does not bronze in winter and does well in the heat and humidity of summer. This narrow conifer is great for screening, specimens, or accents and is sure to bring that lush, green color for which Ireland is known to your landscape.
Category: Conifer
Hardiness Zone: 3
Height: 20-25 feet
Spread: 3-5 feet
Exposure: Full Sun
Shape: Narrow, Pyramidal
Catalog: #15 and #20 Containers; 5’, 6’, and 7’ Ball and Burlap
Irish Setter Gray Dogwood
Cornus racemosa x amomum ‘J.N. Red Stem’
Irish Setter Dogwood, a Johnson’s Nursery exclusive, bred by Mike Yanny was so named because the red twigs and maroon fall color of this dogwood called to mind the beautiful flowing reddish-brown coats of Ireland’s most famous dog. Irish Setter Dogwood has much better resistance to Septoria leaf spot than other varieties and is slow to colonize, making it a nice obedient choice for a home landscape. If you’re still not convinced that planting Irish Setter Dogwood is a good thing, in New England, Dogwood planted near the home is said to bring good luck and protection. For indigenous tribes such as the Quileute and Makah, Dogwood was a symbol of good luck. It seems, that in planting Dogwood, good things are bound to happen.
Category: Shrub
Hardiness Zone: 3
Height: 8-12 feet
Spread: 8-12 feet
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Shape: Upright, Clump-forming
Catalog: #2 and #5 Containers
Ann Magnolia
Magnolia x ‘Ann’
Magnolias are one of the oldest flowering trees on earth, estimated to be around 100 million years old. Given their long history, it’s no wonder many different meanings are associated with this beautiful tree. Planting a magnolia tree in the front yard of a home, particularly red varieties like Ann, is believed to bring good luck and financial security. Yes, please! Ann Magnolia is a compact variety that blooms later than other varieties with stunning, slightly fragrant red-fuchsia flowers sure to bring good fortune.
Category: Tree
Hardiness Zone: 4
Height: 8-10 feet
Spread: 8-10 feet
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Shape: Broad, Rounded
Catalog: #7, #10, #15, and #25 Containers; 5’ and 6’ Ball and Burlap
Scarlet Heaven Peony
Paeonia (ITOH) 'Scarlet Heaven'
Best known for their gorgeous fragrance and large, beautiful blooms, peonies symbolize different things around the world. Some believe that a peony plant full of flowers will bring prosperity, especially red flowering varieties. In other cultures, peonies symbolize wealth, bravery, and honor. The one common theme that repeats itself across most sources of folklore is that peonies represent good luck! Scarlet Heaven Peony features satiny scarlet red fragrant blooms that attract pollinators. Its compact size and lush green foliage make it a stand out in the garden. Plant one or five and maximize your good fortune!
Category: Perennial
Hardiness Zone: 4
Height: 24-30 inches
Spread: 24-30 inches
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Shape: Globe
Catalog: #2 Containers
Zig Zag Goldenrod
Solidago flexicaulis
The genus Solidago as a whole is said to bring good luck and prosperity. With its dark green foliage and cheery bright yellow flowers, it’s easy to see why. Some say that if Goldenrod grows near a door at your home where it didn’t before, you can expect an abundance of good fortune! Perhaps a pot of gold? Zig Zag Goldenrod, a Wisconsin native perennial, provides food aplenty to our pollinator and mammal friends late in the season, sharing the wealth right before migration and winter!
Category: Perennial
Hardiness Zone: 4
Height: 12-36 inches
Spread: 24 inches
Exposure: Full Sun to Full Shade
Shape: Upright
Catalog: #1 Containers
Limelight Hydrangea
Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’
Beloved by many, hydrangeas are not only lush and floriferous but symbolize grace, friendship, sympathy, and love. Green hydrangeas represent good fortune, enlightenment, good health, and good luck. It is said that giving someone a green-flowered hydrangea will infuse their life with positive energy and all good things! Limelight has exquisite, large bright lime green flowers that hold their color until fall when they change to a rich deep pink. A stunner in any garden, sure to enhance your life and landscape.
Category: Shrub
Hardiness Zone: 3
Height: 8-12 feet
Spread: 8-12 feet
Exposure: Full Sun to Full Shade
Shape: Mounded
Catalog: #5 and #10 Containers, #7 Patio Tree, 48” Ball and Burlap
Emerald Spire Crabapple
Malus 'Jefgreen' PP23,863
The Celts of Ireland believed crabapples were magical with healing and life-giving properties and referred to them as the “Tree of Love.” Lucky in love! To offer someone an apple was said to give love while burning apple wood increased the chances of successful fertility. Emerald Spire crabapple is unique, with bronze-green foliage that turns an exquisite dark green in summer, hence the name. Narrow and columnar, it fits well in smaller areas. It explodes in spring with light pink flowers followed by beautiful 1 -1/8” red fruit.
Category: Tree
Hardiness Zone: 4
Height: 10-15 feet
Spread: 6-8 feet
Exposure: Full Sun to Part Shade
Shape: Narrow, Columnar
Catalog: #15, #20 Containers, 1.5”, 1.75”, 2”, 2.5” Ball and Burlap
