Shamrock Plants Are Not Just For St Patrick's Day

Every year, in the second week of March, millions of shamrock plants are flown from Ireland to destinations around the globe in order to reach the lapels of the Diaspora in time for St Patrick's Day on 17th March.

Although a traditional plant, modern technology has improved the shamrock's shelf life dramatically so that the vegetation not only looks spry and bouncy on the day of celebration, but for several more days if kept in a fridge.

The secret lies in modern packaging. The shamrock plants are separated into small bushy clumps and their roots are protected in hydrogels. These are polymers that can hold several hundred times their own weight in water, ensuring the plant survives in its packaging for at least ten days.

Because these are packaged with 'root intact', they can also survive as a houseplant for a lot longer: 25 to 30 years longer! Compare that with the majority of shamrock plants which end up consigned to the bin before 18th March dawns.