Wisconsin’s self-proclaimed Clover Queen, Betina Reich, has spent years chasing luck one leaf at a time. What started as a childhood discovery has grown into an incredible streak that’s now lasted more than 1,200 days.
Reich says she found her first four-leaf clover when she was just 10 years old. After jumping off a swing and landing in a patch of clover, she spotted something unusual.
What she didn’t realize at the time was that the lucky find would spark a lifelong passion.
Today, Reich searches for and finds a four-leaf clover every single day, carefully documenting each one along the way. But she says finding them isn’t simply a matter of luck.
“First tip I’m gonna give you is you need to know what you’re looking for,” Reich said, encouraging aspiring clover hunters to search for patches of white clover. She also looks for a square-shaped pattern in the leaves, a telltale sign that a four-leaf clover may be hiding nearby.
Her dedication has taken the hobby to another level. While summer searches are what Reich calls “easy mode,” winter is a much bigger challenge.
“I have to literally fill up a gallon jug of water,” Reich said, describing how she melts frozen clover patches so she can continue her daily streak through Wisconsin’s harsh winters. Sometimes the ice refreezes, forcing her to return with even hotter water before she can continue searching.
Once she finds a clover, the work isn’t over. Reich carefully cleans each one, presses it overnight, and records details including the date, location and day number of her streak. The preserved clovers are then added to albums that now total more than 70 pages.
Beyond the collection itself, Reich hopes her journey leaves people with a lesson about perseverance.
“Never give up, don’t doubt yourself. Keep going,” Reich said. “Even when you don’t want to, just keep going.”
More than 1,200 days into her streak, the Clover Queen is proving that finding a little luck every day takes a lot of determination.
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