April 16

Birth Flower

Lilac
Common Lilac Purple Lilac

Scientific Name: Syringa vulgaris
Family: Oleaceae

Flower Language

  • first love
  • memories
  • friendship
  • youthful memories

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

A deciduous shrub native to Europe that blooms fragrant purple or white flowers from April to May. The flower crown usually has four petals, but occasionally five-petaled flowers are called 'lucky lilacs' and are used in love charms. It has strong cold resistance and is popular as a representative garden tree in Hokkaido and Tohoku regions.

Trivia

  • The annual 'Sapporo Lilac Festival' is held in Odori Park every May
  • Napoleon's wife Josephine loved lilacs and planted them in the gardens of Malmaison Palace
  • Finding a 'lucky lilac' with five petals is said to make wishes come true
  • French poet Baudelaire wrote about lilacs in 'Les Fleurs du mal'

Uses

Ornamental
  • Planted as garden trees
  • Used as street trees
  • Used as cut flowers in bouquets
Medicinal
  • Traditional medicine for fever and inflammation
  • Flowers used as ingredients for perfumes and cosmetics

Caution: Consult professionals for medicinal use

Culinary

Not suitable for consumption

Other
  • Perfume ingredients
  • Aroma oil ingredients
  • Dried flowers

Toxicity

Symptoms: No toxicity reported

Silene Pendula
Drooping Catchfly Nodding Catchfly

Scientific Name: Silene pendula
Family: Caryophyllaceae

Flower Language

  • beware of love's pitfall

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

An annual plant native to the Mediterranean coast that blooms gentle pink or white flowers from April to June. Flowers are mainly single, but there are also gorgeous double-flowered varieties. Named 'drooping catchfly' due to its drooping habit and inflated calyx. Compact and well-suited for flower beds and container planting.

Trivia

  • Has a history of introduction to Japan around 1890
  • The English name 'Catchfly' derives from its insect-catching properties
  • The characteristic bag-like shape of the calyx is the origin of its Japanese name
  • Seeds have a structure that allows wind dispersal

Uses

Ornamental
  • Planted in flower beds
  • Enjoyed as potted plants
  • Used as cut flowers
Medicinal
  • Traditional medicine for minor wounds
  • Soothing skin inflammation

Caution: Consult professionals for medicinal use

Culinary

Not suitable for consumption

Other
  • Dried flowers
  • Pressed flowers

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: All parts

Symptoms: Large consumption may cause mild gastrointestinal upset

Bulbinella
Golden Lily Orange Bulbine

Scientific Name: Bulbinella floribunda
Family: Asphodelaceae

Flower Language

  • rest

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

A bulbous plant native to South Africa and New Zealand that blooms bright, gorgeous yellow flowers like canola flowers from March to April. Flower stems grow to about 1m in gardens and 50cm in pots, with hundreds of small flowers blooming in spikes. The above-ground parts die back in summer, entering dormancy, and when planted in autumn, it blooms in spring.

Trivia

  • The genus Bulbinella has about 23 species worldwide, mainly distributed in South Africa
  • Drought-resistant, and moderate watering is key to cultivation
  • Cut flowers last about one week
  • Seeds have the characteristic of being dispersed long distances by wind

Uses

Ornamental
  • Used in bouquets as early spring flower material
  • Flower arrangements
  • Cultivated as bulbous plants in gardens
Medicinal
  • Traditional South African medicine for skin treatment
  • Alleviating joint pain

Caution: Consult professionals for medicinal use

Culinary

Not suitable for consumption

Other
  • Dried flowers
  • Seeds used as bird food

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: Bulbs, Stems

Symptoms: Consumption may cause mild gastrointestinal upset

Japanese Azalea
Japanese Yellow Azalea Lotus Azalea

Scientific Name: Rhododendron molle subsp. japonicum
Family: Ericaceae

Flower Language

  • danger
  • passion
  • overflowing vitality

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

A deciduous shrub native to Japan and China that blooms beautiful orange to vermillion flowers from April to June. Named after the lotus flower due to the way many buds emerge from a single branch. Contains strong toxins like grayanotoxin throughout the plant, causing animals to avoid it and sometimes forming colonies. Commonly found in highland and mountain grasslands.

Trivia

  • Forms colonies in grasslands because cattle and horses avoid it due to toxicity
  • Flowers and nectar also contain toxins, making it very dangerous for children to suck nectar
  • Grayanotoxin, a neurotoxin, can cause respiratory arrest
  • A field of Japanese azaleas can be seen in June at Yunomaru Highland in Tsumagoi Village, Gunma Prefecture

Uses

Ornamental
  • Planted in gardens as mountain wildflowers
  • Landscape plant for highlands
  • Cultivated as bonsai
Medicinal

Caution: Not used for medicinal purposes due to strong toxicity

Culinary

Never consume as all parts contain toxins

Other
  • Wildlife damage prevention
  • Soil conservation plant

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Severe

Toxic Parts: All parts, Flowers, Leaves, Roots, Nectar

Symptoms: Vomiting, convulsions, difficulty breathing, low blood pressure, and in worst cases, death from respiratory arrest

Gloriosa
Glory Lily Flame Lily

Scientific Name: Gloriosa superba
Family: Colchicaceae

Flower Language

  • glory
  • bravery
  • strength

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

A bulbous plant native to tropical Asia and Africa that blooms beautiful flame-like red and yellow flowers from summer to autumn. The petals curve backward with long protruding stamens in a distinctive shape. It's a climbing vine requiring support, but is popular as an ornamental for its beauty. However, the bulbs contain colchicine, a strong toxin, requiring extreme caution in handling.

Trivia

  • Featured on Zimbabwe's coat of arms as the national flower
  • Fatal accidents reported from mistaking bulbs for edible yams
  • Colchicine is used in gout treatment but is highly toxic
  • Climbs using tendrils to wrap around other plants for growth

Uses

Ornamental
  • Used as luxury cut flowers
  • Cultivated as climbing plants in gardens
  • Flower arrangements
Medicinal

Caution: Not used for medicinal purposes due to strong colchicine toxicity

Culinary

Never consume as all parts, especially bulbs, contain strong toxins

Other
  • Research specimens
  • Educational displays

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Severe

Toxic Parts: All parts, Especially bulbs

Symptoms: Nausea, diarrhea, fever, organ failure, and in worst cases, death

Tulip
Variegated Tulip Striped Tulip

Scientific Name: Tulipa gesneriana
Family: Liliaceae

Flower Language

  • beautiful eyes
  • thoughtfulness

Characteristics

Colors: variegated

Description

A bulbous plant native to Central Asia that blooms beautiful flowers in spring. Variegated varieties have different colored stripes or spots on petals, called 'broken tulips' in 17th century Netherlands and valued extremely highly. These variegations were actually caused by viral infections, but now stable variegated varieties have been developed through breeding.

Trivia

  • In 17th century Netherlands, variegated tulip bulbs were traded for the same price as a house
  • The cause of variegation was not known to be viral infection at the time and was considered mystical
  • Current variegated varieties are bred to produce stable variegation patterns
  • About 3 billion bulbs are produced annually in the Netherlands

Uses

Ornamental
  • Spring flower bed planting
  • Used as cut flowers
  • Potted bulb cultivation
Medicinal
  • Traditional medicine for skin treatment

Caution: Consult professionals for medicinal use

Culinary
  • Petals (certain varieties)
Other
  • Perfume ingredients
  • Dried flowers
  • Bulb appreciation

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: Bulbs

Symptoms: Consuming bulbs may cause nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea