February 06

Birth Flower

Loquat
Japanese Plum Japanese Medlar

Scientific Name: Eriobotrya japonica
Family: Rosaceae

Flower Language

  • Memories of Love
  • Healing
  • Gentleness

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

A Rosaceae evergreen tree native to southwestern China, cultivated in Japan since the Nara period. It blooms clusters of fragrant white 5-petaled flowers from late autumn to winter, and produces yellow-orange fruits resembling the lute in early summer. The leaves are large, dark green with fine hairs on the underside, and have been used in traditional medicine since ancient times. Large-fruited varieties were introduced from China in the late Edo period, and it is now mainly cultivated in Nagasaki and Chiba prefectures.

Trivia

  • Named after the lute (biwa) due to its fruit's similar shape
  • The 'Mogi Biwa' introduced from China in the late Edo period became the basis for current main varieties
  • Mogi town in Nagasaki Prefecture is known as one of Japan's leading loquat production areas
  • Leaf decoction is still enjoyed today as 'Biwa tea'

Uses

Ornamental
  • Garden tree planting
  • Park tree use
  • Bonsai cultivation
Medicinal
  • Leaf decoction: cough suppressant, expectorant
  • External leaf use: treatment of heat rash and eczema
  • Seeds: contain amygdalin, antitussive effect

Caution: Avoid large consumption of seeds due to amygdalin content

Culinary
  • Fruit
  • Young leaves (as tea)
Other
  • Wood: tool material, crafts
  • Leaves: cosmetic ingredient

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: Seeds (contain amygdalin)

Symptoms: Large consumption of seeds may cause mild digestive symptoms

Erica
Heath Heather

Scientific Name: Erica spp.
Family: Ericaceae

Flower Language

  • Modesty
  • Solitude
  • Loneliness

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

An evergreen shrub of the Ericaceae family, mainly native to South Africa, with about 740 species. It produces clusters of small urn-shaped or bell-shaped flowers in various colors including white, pink, red, and yellow. In Japan, the cold-resistant Erica canaliculata is common and can be grown outdoors in warm regions. The leaves are needle-like and slender, remaining green throughout winter due to their evergreen nature. In Europe, it is known as a wildflower that grows in heathlands, particularly representing the heathlands of Britain.

Trivia

  • Erica canaliculata is named for its black anthers that resemble snake-eye patterns
  • In Scotland, finding white heather is believed to bring good luck
  • European heathlands are used as sheep grazing areas
  • Important honey source, with heather honey having a distinctive flavor

Uses

Ornamental
  • Potted ornamental plants
  • Shrub planting in Western-style gardens
  • Accent in mixed plantings
Medicinal
  • Traditionally used as diuretic in Europe
  • Folk use for rheumatism and gout treatment
  • Antibacterial properties under research

Caution: Consult specialists for medicinal use

Culinary

Generally not used for culinary purposes

Other
  • Material for broom making
  • Honey source plant
  • Used as roofing material in some regions

Toxicity

Symptoms: Generally considered non-toxic

Rapeseed
Canola Field Mustard Oilseed Rape

Scientific Name: Brassica napus
Family: Brassicaceae

Flower Language

  • Cheerfulness
  • Abundance
  • Small Happiness

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

An annual plant of the Brassicaceae family native to the Mediterranean coast, introduced to Japan during the Yayoi period. It blooms bright yellow 4-petaled cross-shaped flowers from February to May, cherished as a symbol of spring. The leaves have distinctive wrinkles, and the buds, flower stems, and young leaves are used for food. Oil is extracted from the seeds and has been an important crop for cooking oil and lighting since ancient times. Currently, it is also cultivated for ornamental purposes and loved as a representative flower that colors the spring landscape.

Trivia

  • Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture is known as one of Japan's famous rapeseed flower spots
  • Rapeseed oil was Japan's main vegetable oil until the Edo period
  • Canola oil, bred in Canada, is a type of rapeseed oil
  • Rapeseed flower fields are cultivated as spring tourism resources in various locations

Uses

Ornamental
  • Cultivated as ornamental spring flower fields
  • Used as cut flowers
  • Planted in fields as landscape crop
Medicinal
  • Leaves: rich in vitamin C with high nutritional value
  • Seed oil: skin moisturizing effect
  • Flowers: used in folk medicine for cough relief

Caution: Caution needed for those with allergies

Culinary
  • Buds
  • Flower stems
  • Young leaves
  • Seeds (for oil)
Other
  • Rapeseed oil: cooking oil, biodiesel fuel
  • Oil cake: used as fertilizer
  • Landscape formation: greening, landscape crop

Toxicity

Symptoms: Generally safe but avoid large consumption

Yellow Violet
Wild Pansy

Scientific Name: Viola orientalis
Family: Violaceae

Flower Language

  • Rural Happiness
  • Modest Joy
  • Humility

Characteristics

Colors: Yellow

Description

A perennial plant of the Violaceae family widely distributed in temperate regions, with about 60 species native to Japan. Yellow violets are relatively rare, blooming bright yellow flowers from April to May. The flowers have the characteristic violet shape with a spur called 'kyo' at the back, quietly blooming along roadsides and grasslands. The leaves are heart-shaped, and the plant spreads in a rosette pattern. From its modest and charming appearance comes the flower language 'rural happiness,' and it is cherished as a flower announcing spring's arrival.

Trivia

  • Violet flowers bloom facing backward, so ancient people considered them a symbol of modesty
  • Yellow violets are rarer than other colored violets and finding one is considered lucky
  • Seeds have an appendage called elaiosome that ants like, leading to ant dispersal
  • Napoleon is famous for giving violets to his beloved wife Josephine

Uses

Ornamental
  • Cultivation in wildflower gardens
  • Ground cover in natural gardens
  • Mixed plantings of mountain plants
Medicinal
  • Whole plant: fever reduction, detoxification
  • Leaves: poultice for wound treatment
  • Flowers: cough suppressant effect

Caution: Consult specialists for medicinal use

Culinary
  • Young leaves
  • Flowers
Other
  • Perfume ingredient
  • Natural dye
  • Ecosystem conservation plant

Toxicity

Symptoms: Generally safe but avoid large consumption

Sea Lungwort
Oyster Plant Oyster Leaf

Scientific Name: Mertensia maritima subsp. asiatica
Family: Boraginaceae

Flower Language

  • Unchanging
  • Patience
  • Longing for the Sea

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

A perennial plant of the Boraginaceae family native to northern Europe, distributed in Japan from Hokkaido to coastal areas of Honshu. The stems grow creeping along the ground surface, with thick, beautiful blue-green leaves. It blooms bowl-shaped blue flowers from July to August, with a pale pink tinge when first opening. Despite its name 'coastal stonecrop,' it is actually not of the Crassulaceae family but the Boraginaceae family. It is a plant adapted to harsh coastal environments, resistant to salt damage and growing well in sandy soil. The leaves are said to taste like fresh oysters and are used for food in Europe.

Trivia

  • Called 'Oyster Leaf' because its leaves taste like fresh oysters
  • Used as precious ingredient in high-end French restaurants
  • Has thick leaves to adapt to harsh sandy coastal environments
  • Currently protected as rare plant species in some regions

Uses

Ornamental
  • Cultivation in coastal gardens
  • Rock garden planting
  • Succulent plant collection
Medicinal
  • Folk medicine: sore throat relief
  • Anti-inflammatory properties under research
  • Rich in vitamin C and minerals

Caution: Harvesting should consider environmental protection

Culinary
  • Young leaves
  • Stems
Other
  • Coastal greening plant
  • Salt damage countermeasure plant
  • Ecosystem conservation

Toxicity

Symptoms: Generally safe, but harvesting wild specimens requires environmental consideration

Rock Lotus
Rock Hen and Chicks

Scientific Name: Orostachys malacophylla var. iwarenge
Family: Crassulaceae

Flower Language

  • Rich Talent
  • Building a Good Home
  • Diligence

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

A perennial plant of the Crassulaceae family endemic to Japan, growing wild on coastal rocky areas from Kanto westward to Kyushu. The basal leaves are arranged in rosettes, resembling lotus flowers, hence the name 'rock lotus.' The leaves are succulent, flat, obovate-lanceolate, 4-6cm long, and whitish-green with a powdery white coating. In autumn (September-November), it extends flower stems and blooms small white flowers in dense clusters. It dies after flowering but reproduces through axillary buds and stolons. Currently, due to habitat reduction, it is designated as an endangered species in many regions, making it a precious plant.

Trivia

  • Sometimes grows on thatched roofs and called 'roof onion'
  • Designated as endangered species in Yamaguchi and Ibaraki prefectures
  • Called 'monocarpic plant' because it dies after flowering once
  • Rosette diameter is small at 5-10cm, but flower stem extends about 30cm

Uses

Ornamental
  • Succulent plant collection
  • Rock garden cultivation
  • Bonsai styling
Medicinal
  • Folk medicine: burn treatment
  • Leaf juice: skin inflammation relief
  • Anti-inflammatory properties under research

Caution: Avoid harvesting due to rarity, use cultivated specimens

Culinary

Not used for culinary purposes

Other
  • Environmental indicator plant
  • Biodiversity conservation
  • Educational plant

Toxicity

Symptoms: Generally non-toxic but should be kept for observation only due to rarity