July 08

Birth Flower

Black Lily
Kamchatka Fritillary Chocolate Lily Skunk Lily

Scientific Name: Fritillaria camschatcensis
Family: Liliaceae

Flower Language

  • Love Magic
  • Love
  • Curse
  • Revenge

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Black Lily is a perennial herb in the lily family native to alpine regions from Hokkaido to Honshu. It blooms dark purple-brown to black-purple bell-shaped flowers facing downward from June to August. The flowers have a reticulated pattern and emit a distinctive foul odor to attract flies for pollination. It is known as the flower of Ainu love divination and is also famous in the legend of Hayayuri and Sassa Narimasa. It symbolizes beauty as an unreachable flower.

Trivia

  • The English name 'Skunk Lily' comes from its foul odor, part of a unique pollination strategy to attract flies
  • Two chromosome types exist: Ezokuroyuri (triploid) and Miyamakuroyuri (diploid)
  • Legend tells that black lilies actually bloomed on Mount Tateyama after Hayayuri's curse, and the Sassa family was indeed abolished
  • Ainu women used this flower for love divination, believing their love would be fulfilled if noticed by their beloved

Uses

Ornamental
  • Cultivation for display in alpine botanical gardens
  • Observation in natural habitats as collection is prohibited for conservation
  • Difficult for general horticulture due to specialized cultivation requirements
Medicinal
  • Historical records of bulb use in folk medicine for fever reduction and cough relief
  • Currently not commonly used for medicinal purposes

Caution: Collection of wild specimens is legally prohibited, medicinal use not recommended

Culinary

Not suitable for culinary use

Other
  • Academic value as research material for alpine plant studies
  • Serves as an environmental indicator species showing ecosystem health

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: Mild toxic components in all parts

Symptoms: May cause gastrointestinal discomfort if consumed in large quantities, but generally low toxicity

Hollyhock
Garden Hollyhock Common Hollyhock Rose Mallow

Scientific Name: Alcea rosea
Family: Malvaceae

Flower Language

  • Unadorned Love
  • Ambition
  • Aspiration
  • Fruitfulness
  • Noble and Dignified Beauty

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Hollyhock (Tachiaoi) is a perennial that blooms flowers sequentially from bottom to top on tall, straight stems from early to mid-summer. Flower colors are extremely varied including red, pink, white, yellow, black, and purple, with varieties ranging from single to double blooms. It begins flowering around the start of the rainy season, and the blooming of the topmost flowers is said to coincide with the end of the rainy season, making it a seasonal indicator flower. Growing up to about 2 meters tall, it's popular as a background plant or hedge in gardens.

Trivia

  • Known as a rainy season indicator flower, with the saying 'the rainy season ends when hollyhocks finish blooming'
  • In Europe, the name is said to derive from 'Holy Hock' (sacred mallow), brought back from the Holy Land by Crusaders
  • Appears in Shakespeare's works and is deeply rooted in British literature
  • Chinese name is 'Shukui' (蜀葵), derived from its abundance in the Shu (Sichuan Province) region

Uses

Ornamental
  • Cut flowers for summer bouquets and arrangements
  • Garden planting as background or hedge plants
  • Potted plants for entrance and balcony decoration
Medicinal
  • Traditionally used as cough suppressant and expectorant
  • Decoctions from flowers and leaves to soothe throat inflammation
  • External application for skin inflammation and wound healing promotion

Caution: Avoid use during pregnancy and breastfeeding, caution needed for those with allergies

Culinary
  • Young leaves
  • Flower petals
Other
  • Fiber extraction from stems as a fiber crop
  • Natural dye extraction from flowers for pigments

Toxicity

Symptoms: Generally non-toxic and edible

Campanula
Bellflower Canterbury Bells Harebell

Scientific Name: Campanula medium
Family: Campanulaceae

Flower Language

  • Gratitude
  • Declaring One's Feelings
  • Sincerity
  • Constancy
  • Empathy

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Campanula is a perennial in the bellflower family that blooms bell-shaped flowers from spring to summer. The genus name 'Campanula' means 'little bell' in Latin, derived from the flower's shape. Flower colors are diverse including purple, blue, white, and pink, with various sizes and forms. With excellent cold tolerance but sensitivity to hot, humid conditions, surviving summer is the key cultivation point in Japan. Also beloved by the alternative name 'wind bell grass,' it's popular in gardens and potted plants for its beautiful flower form.

Trivia

  • The name 'Canterbury Bells' derives from bells worn by medieval pilgrims
  • Small dewdrops sometimes collect in flowers, called 'fairy tears'
  • In Britain, believed that planting in gardens brings good fortune
  • With about 300-500 species, they've adapted to diverse environments from alpine to lowland

Uses

Ornamental
  • Cut flowers for early summer bouquets and arrangements
  • Garden planting in border beds and rock gardens
  • Potted plants for balcony and windowsill decoration
Medicinal
  • Folk medicine use for throat pain and cough relief
  • Traditional use as gargle medicine in Europe

Caution: Currently insufficient scientific evidence for medicinal use, medical applications not recommended

Culinary
  • Young leaves
  • Flower petals
Other
  • Pressed flowers and dried flowers for craft materials
  • Decorative use utilizing flower shape despite lack of fragrance

Toxicity

Symptoms: Generally considered non-toxic, but avoid large consumption

Lotus
Sacred Lotus Indian Lotus Bean of India

Scientific Name: Nelumbo nucifera
Family: Nelumbonaceae

Flower Language

  • Pure Heart
  • Sacred
  • Eloquence
  • Rest
  • Composure
  • Departing Love

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Lotus is an aquatic plant that blooms pure and beautiful flowers from muddy water, revered as a sacred flower since ancient times. It blooms large pink or white flowers 10-25cm in diameter from July to August, with the habit of opening in early morning and closing by noon. The leaves are circular with water-repelling properties, famous for the lotus effect where water droplets roll like pearls. The underground stem (lotus root) is enjoyed as food, and in Buddhism, it holds important meaning as the flower that blooms in the Pure Land paradise.

Trivia

  • Lotus flowers have existed for about 100 million years and are called 'living fossils'
  • 2000-year-old lotus seeds successfully germinated, becoming famous as 'Oga Lotus'
  • The lotus effect is named after the super-hydrophobic properties of lotus leaves, now applied in industrial technology
  • National flower of India, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, holding culturally important meanings

Uses

Ornamental
  • Ornamental cultivation in ponds and water bowls
  • Landscape use in temple and park ponds
  • Cut flowers for Buddhist offerings and decoration
Medicinal
  • Lotus seeds used for nourishment and mental stability
  • Lotus leaves believed to have fever-reducing and hemostatic effects
  • Lotus root used in folk medicine for cough relief and digestion promotion

Caution: Consult specialists for medicinal use, caution needed for those with allergies

Culinary
  • Underground stem (lotus root)
  • Seeds (lotus seeds)
  • Young leaves
Other
  • Lotus fiber used for textiles
  • Material for decorative items and crafts
  • Fragrance extraction from flowers and leaves

Toxicity

Symptoms: Generally non-toxic and edible, but beware of parasites when eating raw