12/22/2023

The false shamrock is looking droopy. I have traumatized it for the sake of transporting a few portions across the country. Three little bulbs, I unearthed and transferred into new pots.

I often wonder about the history of this plant—the trail of ancestors and offspring that brought this piece of it to me. It is not native to North America. Someone collected and transported it, carrying a cutting or a seed or a young plant. Or perhaps a mature specimen in a pot. This one was a birthday gift from a friend for my husband on his 40th.

It is a good companion. Colorful. Exuberant. Always personable and perky. It folds its leaves each night, opens them in the morning, and sometimes presses itself against the window pane as if trying to get a better look outside.