A Japanese man has set a new world record by successfully growing a 63-leaf clover, according to UPI.
Yoshiharu Watanabe, 45, from Tochigi, Japan, has been cross-pollinating his home garden’s clover for 12 years and has successfully broken the Guinness World Record with his 63-leaf “super lucky” clover.
Yoshiharu’s 63-leaf clover has set the Guinness World Record for the most leaves on a clover plant.
According to Japanese folklore, clovers with four or five leaves are believed to bring good luck to their owners. Following this logic, Yoshiharu has officially become the “luckiest man in Japan” thanks to his 63-leaf clover.
“I started growing clovers in 2012 using the cross-pollination method. The number of leaves kept increasing over time, motivating me to continue breeding towards the Guinness World Record title,” Yoshiharu shared with the Guinness World Records Organization.
The previous record for the most leaves on a clover plant was held by Shigeo Obara from Iwate Prefecture, Japan. He set the Guinness World Record in 2009 with a 56-leaf clover.
Yoshiharu Watanabe, 45, from Tochigi, Japan, began cross-pollinating his home garden’s clover in 2012.
Yoshiharu has planted many clusters of lucky clovers throughout his garden and has been breeding them for several years. “Clover is a common plant around the world and quite easy to care for; you don’t have to do much with them,” he shared. “I often look for clovers with five or seven leaves near rice fields and parks and bring them home to breed.”
In 2020, Yoshiharu successfully grew a 49-leaf clover, and by 2021, he was even closer to the Guinness World Record, having cultivated a 55-leaf clover.
“I know that genetic mechanisms are related to the number of leaves on a clover plant, but I don’t understand how it works,” the 45-year-old added, stating that he only used the cross-pollination method to “wish for luck.”
This year, Yoshiharu finally broke the world record by growing a 63-leaf clover. “They say that a four-leaf clover can bring luck. I hope that my 63-leaf clover can bring luck to all of humanity,” he concluded.
