January 16

Birth Flower

Oxalis
Wood Sorrel Good Luck Leaf Shamrock

Scientific Name: Oxalis purpurea
Family: Oxalidaceae

Flower Language

  • Devoted love
  • Shining heart
  • I will never abandon you
  • Joy
  • Mother's tenderness

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Oxalis is a bulbous plant belonging to the Oxalidaceae family, native to southern Africa and Central and South America. The flowers have five petals in various colors including white, pink, orange, and yellow, and they open in sunlight but close at night or on rainy days. The leaves consist of three heart-shaped leaflets and are sometimes treated as four-leaf clovers. They contain oxalic acid, giving them a sour taste, and were used in ancient times to polish metals. With over 800 species, it is an extremely diverse plant group.

Trivia

  • The genus name 'Oxalis' derives from the Greek word 'Oxys' meaning 'acid'
  • Some varieties contain over 120 different aromatic compounds
  • The habit of closing flowers at night or on cloudy days is called 'nyctinasty'
  • Sometimes treated as four-leaf clover, but is actually a different plant from true clover

Uses

Ornamental
  • Used as cut flowers in bouquets
  • Garden borders and landscape decoration
  • Suitable for pot plants and container gardens
Medicinal
  • Astringent properties from oxalic acid in leaves
  • Used in traditional medicine for skin conditions

Caution: Should avoid large consumption due to oxalic acid content

Culinary
  • Young leaves
  • Flowers
Other
  • Used for polishing metals in ancient times
  • Sometimes used as natural dye

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: Leaves, Stems

Symptoms: Large consumption may cause gastrointestinal discomfort or kidney stress.

Pansy
Garden Pansy Heartsease Love-in-idleness

Scientific Name: Viola × wittrockiana
Family: Violaceae

Flower Language

  • Messenger of love
  • Thoughtfulness
  • Think of me
  • Thoughtful
  • Sincerity
  • Unwavering soul

Characteristics

Colors: Purple

Description

Pansy is a plant of the Violaceae family, genus Viola, and is a horticultural variety native to Europe. It was named after the French word 'pensée' (thought) because the slightly drooping flowers resemble the face of a person lost in thought. It blooms for a long period from around November to June and has very hardy characteristics. Extensive breeding has produced diverse colors including yellow, orange, red, purple, blue-purple, white, black (deep blue), and multicolored combinations. The original standard color was purple, and the scientific name 'Viola' also derives from the Latin word for purple.

Trivia

  • The name 'snapdragon' comes from the flower's ability to open and close like a mouth when squeezed
  • Napoleon used pansies as his emblem when exiled to Elba
  • The difference between violas and pansies is flower size: over 4cm is pansy, smaller is viola
  • Used as edible flowers in high-end restaurants

Uses

Ornamental
  • Colorful additions to flower beds and border gardens
  • Cultivation in pots and planters
  • Cut flowers for small bouquets and arrangements
Medicinal
  • Used in traditional medicine for respiratory ailments
  • Believed to have anti-inflammatory properties

Caution: Consultation with healthcare professionals is recommended for medicinal use

Culinary
  • Flowers
  • Young leaves
Other
  • Used in crafts as pressed flowers and dried flowers
  • Utilized as natural purple dye

Toxicity

Symptoms:

Daphne
Winter Daphne Fragrant Daphne

Scientific Name: Daphne odora
Family: Thymelaeaceae

Flower Language

  • Glory
  • Victory
  • Eternity
  • Immortality
  • Imperishability

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Daphne is an evergreen shrub of the Thymelaeaceae family, native to southern China. It was introduced to Japan by the Muromachi period and is beloved as one of the three major fragrant trees of spring (daphne, gardenia, and osmanthus). Growing 1-1.5m tall, it produces 10-20 small flowers in hemispherical clusters at branch tips from early February to April. The flowers are tubular sepals split into four parts, with reddish-purple outsides and white insides. Containing over 120 aromatic compounds, it emits a very strong fragrance. Being evergreen with year-round green leaves, it symbolizes eternity and immortality.

Trivia

  • Named 'Jinchouge' because its fragrance resembles agarwood and flower shape resembles cloves
  • Dioecious plant, but Japan has mostly male plants, making fruit sighting rare
  • Naturally forms round shape without pruning due to well-branching characteristics
  • Fragrance contains over 120 different chemical compounds

Uses

Ornamental
  • Solitary planting as garden tree
  • Used for hedges and boundary plantings
  • Cut flowers for indoor decoration
Medicinal
  • Flowers used as medicinal material in traditional Chinese medicine
  • Believed to have antipyretic and analgesic effects

Caution: All parts are toxic, requiring professional guidance for medicinal use

Culinary

Not edible. All parts are toxic.

Other
  • Used as raw material for perfumes and fragrances
  • Used in crafts as pressed flowers

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Severe

Toxic Parts: All parts, Bark, Sap, Berries

Symptoms: Ingestion may cause poisoning symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

Snapdragon
Antirrhinum Dragon Flower Lion's Mouth

Scientific Name: Antirrhinum majus
Family: Plantaginaceae

Flower Language

  • Chatter
  • Presumption
  • Meddling
  • Pure heart
  • Foresight

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Snapdragon is a perennial plant of the Plantaginaceae family, native to the Mediterranean coast of southern Europe and North Africa. It was introduced to Japan in the late Edo period. Named for its flower shape resembling goldfish fins or an open mouth, it's called snapdragon in English, likening it to a dragon. It features vivid colors with a wide variety including red, pink, white, orange, yellow, and multicolored flowers. Growing 30-100cm tall, it comes in tall, intermediate, and dwarf varieties, used widely from cut flowers to garden beds and potted plants. It emits a sweet fragrance and adds vibrancy to spring gardens.

Trivia

  • Named 'snapdragon' because flowers open and close like a mouth when squeezed from the sides
  • Genus name 'Antirrhinum' derives from Greek meaning 'nose-like'
  • Though perennial by nature, often treated as annual in Japan
  • Seeds are extremely small, with about 5000 seeds per gram

Uses

Ornamental
  • Cut flowers for bouquets and arrangements
  • Background plants in flower beds and border gardens
  • Suitable for potted plants and container gardens
Medicinal
  • Used externally for skin inflammation in traditional medicine
  • Used for cough suppression in European folk medicine

Caution: Consultation with healthcare professionals is recommended for medicinal use

Culinary

Not commonly used as food.

Other
  • Used in crafts as pressed flowers and dried flowers
  • Seeds have been used medicinally since ancient times

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: Seeds

Symptoms: Large consumption may cause mild gastrointestinal discomfort.

Hyacinth
Garden Hyacinth Dutch Hyacinth

Scientific Name: Hyacinthus orientalis
Family: Asparagaceae

Flower Language

  • Happiness with you
  • Competition

Characteristics

Colors: Yellow

Description

Hyacinth is a bulbous plant of the Asparagaceae family, native to the eastern Mediterranean coast including Turkey, Greece, Syria, and Lebanon. It blooms from March to April with diverse flower colors including blue, red, pink, white, and yellow. Flowers bloom densely in spikes, emitting a fresh, leafy fragrance. It's beloved as a classic bulb for water cultivation, allowing beautiful flowers to be enjoyed indoors. Yellow hyacinths have lower distribution compared to other colors, making them somewhat rare. Named after Hyacinthus from Greek mythology, it has been cherished since ancient times.

Trivia

  • Yellow hyacinths are rarer with lower distribution compared to other colors
  • Water cultivation requires dark conditions until roots emerge from bulbs
  • The Netherlands is the world's largest hyacinth bulb producer
  • Flower fragrance consists of over 100 different chemical compounds

Uses

Ornamental
  • Indoor decoration through water cultivation
  • Planted in spring flower beds and border gardens
  • Cut flowers for bouquets and arrangements
Medicinal
  • Bulbs used medicinally in ancient Greece
  • Believed to have diuretic properties in traditional medicine

Caution: Bulbs are toxic, so not used for medical purposes currently

Culinary

Not edible. Bulbs are toxic.

Other
  • Fragrance components extracted for perfume production
  • Believed to improve financial luck in feng shui (yellow)

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Moderate

Toxic Parts: Bulbs, Leaves

Symptoms: Ingestion of bulbs may cause poisoning symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.