Japanese floral calendar
Jan 12th, 2008 by Ad Blankestijn
It may be strange to be writing about flowers in the heart of winter, but Japan has flowers for every season - in winter the narcissus breaking through the cold earth, or the deep red camellias with their shining green leaves against the snow. So that is how the hanagoyomi, the floral calendar, was born, listing the favorite flower or tree for each month of the year.
[Cherry blossoms in The Mint in Osaka]
Here is one example of such a list (for certain months there are variants although cherries are always linked with April!):
January - pine (matsu)
February - plum (ume)
March - peach (momo)
April - cherry (sakura)
Look here for a sakura (cherry blossom) timetable!
May - azalea (tsutsuji), peony (shakuyaku), tree peony (botan) and wisteria (fuji)
June - iris (shobu), hydrangea (ajisai)
July - morning glory (asagao)
August - lotus (hasu)
September - bushclover (hagi) and other “seven grasses of autumn”
October - chrysanthemum (kiku)
November - maples (momiji)
December - camellia (tsubaki)
[Fallen camellias in Honenin Temple]
