Record-breaking 63-leaf clover grown by Japanese man (2024)

According to superstition, a five-leaf clover brings even more luck to the finder than a four-leaf clover does.

By this logic, the record-breaking 63-leaf clover grown by Yoshiharu Watanabemakes him the luckiest man alive.

Yoshiharu, 45, has been cross-pollinating clovers (Trifolium repens L.) in his garden at home in Nasushiobara, Japan, since 2012.

He said: “Since the number of leaves has increased year by year, I have been aiming for the Guinness World Records title ever since.”

The previous record for the most leaves on a clover was set in 2009 by another Japanese man, Shigeo Obara of Hanamaki City, who grew a 56-leaf clover.

Yohshiharu has several clover patches dotted around his garden. Describing how he began developing them, he said: “Clover is a common plant found everywhere, so whenever I saw a four-leaved, five-leaved, or seven-leaved clover near paddy fields or parks, I took it back home.

“The plant is pretty strong and you don't have to do anything to it, so I just left them, then they just prospered.”

Upon finding a 20-leaf clover in his garden after a few years, the possibility of achieving the world record entered his mind.

“I had to triple the number of leaves in order to try and beat it,” Yoshiharu recalls. “It didn’t seem that easy, yet the leaves were growing in numbers; I thought I might eventually be able to break it.”

From there, in addition to letting the clovers pollinate naturally in open air, he hand-pollinated the ones with the most leaves.

By 2020, he managed to grow one with 49 leaves, and in 2021 he came extremely close to equalling the world record with a 55-leaf clover.

However, things didn’t quite go to plan afterwards, as Yoshiharu says he "could not increase the leaves" further.

“Sometimes the number of leaves can go down, or sometimes you end up with the normal three-leaf clover,” he explained.

“We know that genetics are involved in a higher number of leaves, yet we don't exactly know how it works.”

Yoshiharu estimated his now-record-breaking clover to have 56 leaves upon first noticing it, so he was pleasantly surprised to see it surpass 60 when he counted them.

Because the leaves are smaller than the standard clover that you know and love, it's hard to count the number of leaves. When I counted this record-breaking clover, it took me over an hour.

Yoshiharu says he’s “very happy” to have finally earned this world record.

He added: “People say that a four-leaved clover brings you happiness, so it would be great if this 63-leaved clover would bring surprise and pleasure to people.”

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