August 17

Birth Flower

Tassel flower
Scarlet tassel flower Flora's paintbrush Red tassel flower

Scientific Name: Emilia coccinea
Family: Asteraceae

Flower Language

  • Sensitivity

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

An annual herb of the asteraceae family, genus Emilia, native to East and South Africa. It grows 30-60cm tall and produces approximately 2cm diameter tubular red flowers at stem tips. The flower shape resembles a paintbrush, hence its Japanese name Efude-giku (paintbrush chrysanthemum). Leaves are smooth and elliptical with deep cuts. It's easy to grow, prefers sunny locations, and is drought-tolerant. Once planted, it readily self-seeds and provides long blooming periods from May to November.

Trivia

  • Called paintbrush chrysanthemum due to paintbrush-like flower shape
  • Also known as red lettuce
  • Self-seeds readily for annual enjoyment
  • Excellent as long-lasting cut flower

Uses

Ornamental
  • Flower beds
  • Cut flowers
  • Potted plants
  • Dried flowers
Medicinal
  • Used as folk medicine in some regions

Caution: Professional guidance required for medicinal use

Culinary

Other
  • Nectar source plant
  • Gardening

Toxicity

Symptoms:

Dahlia
Garden dahlia

Scientific Name: Dahlia pinnata
Family: Asteraceae

Flower Language

  • Dignity
  • Magnificence
  • Elegance
  • Magnificence
  • Rich affection
  • Gracefulness

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

A perennial herb of the asteraceae family, genus Dahlia, native to the highlands from Mexico to Guatemala, and also Mexico's national flower. It was brought to Spain in the 18th century, after which breeding improvements were made. In Japan, it was first introduced from Holland to Nagasaki in 1842 (Tenpo 13). The flowering period is July to October, with extremely diverse flower forms and colors. The American Dahlia Society classifies them into 16 categories. Currently, thousands of garden varieties exist and are beloved worldwide as summer to autumn flowers.

Trivia

  • Dahlia name derives from Swedish botanist Anders Dahl
  • Known as Tenjiku-botan in Japan's Edo period
  • American Dahlia Society classifies into 16 flower forms
  • One of the most diverse flower forms in the world

Uses

Ornamental
  • Flower beds
  • Cut flowers
  • Potted plants
  • Exhibitions
Medicinal
  • Used in Mexican traditional medicine

Caution: Professional guidance required for medicinal use

Culinary
  • Petals
  • Buds
Other
  • Breeding material
  • Competition plants

Toxicity

Symptoms:

Silk tree
Mimosa Persian silk tree

Scientific Name: Albizia julibrissin
Family: Fabaceae

Flower Language

  • Joy
  • Heart flutter
  • Reverie
  • Peace
  • Creativity

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

A deciduous tree of the fabaceae family, genus Albizia, distributed in Japan, China, Korean Peninsula, Iran, and Afghanistan. It grows to about 10m tall and blooms fluffy flowers like waterfowl down from mid-June to early July. Flower colors change from white near the center to pale pink toward the outside. Named Nemunoki meaning 'sleeping tree' because leaflets close and droop at night in sleep movement. The kanji name 'Gogan-boku' derives from being considered a symbol of marital harmony in China.

Trivia

  • Sleep movement is phenomenon where leaves close together at night
  • Featured in 26 poems in Manyoshu collection
  • Gogan no hana is summer season word in haiku
  • Symbiosis with root nodule bacteria enriches soil

Uses

Ornamental
  • Garden trees
  • Park trees
  • Street trees
  • Bonsai
Medicinal
  • Bark used in traditional Chinese medicine
  • Believed to have sedative effects

Caution: Professional guidance required for medicinal use

Culinary

Other
  • Nectar source plant
  • Timber (furniture)
  • Soil improvement (root nodule bacteria)

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: Seeds, Bark

Symptoms: Seeds contain mild toxicity, avoid ingestion

Prince's feather
Kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate Oriental persicaria

Scientific Name: Persicaria orientalis
Family: Polygonaceae

Flower Language

  • Compassion
  • Eloquence
  • Pure heart

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

An annual herb of the polygonaceae family, genus Persicaria, native to China, India, and Malaysia. It grows 1-2m tall and blooms 6-7mm small flowers in spikes at stem tips from June to September. As the name suggests, it's larger than other Persicaria plants and characterized by fine hairs densely covering the entire plant. The beautiful way it droops like rice due to flower weight led to its introduction to Japan for ornamental purposes in the mid-Edo period. Similar to other Persicaria like P. longiseta, but this species has particularly vivid red flowers.

Trivia

  • Name derives from being larger and hairier than other Persicaria
  • English name Prince's feather from flower spike resembling prince's plume
  • Introduced to Japan for ornamental use in mid-Edo period
  • Beautiful graceful drooping due to flower weight

Uses

Ornamental
  • Flower beds
  • Cut flowers
  • Tea ceremony flowers
  • Autumn decorations
Medicinal
  • Used in traditional Chinese medicine

Caution: Professional guidance required for medicinal use

Culinary

Other
  • Dried flowers
  • Horticultural therapy

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: Leaves, Stems

Symptoms: As polygonaceae plant, large consumption may cause gastrointestinal upset

Tulip tree
Yellow poplar Tulip poplar

Scientific Name: Liriodendron tulipifera
Family: Magnoliaceae

Flower Language

  • Magnificent beauty
  • Happiness
  • Rural happiness

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

A deciduous tree of the magnoliaceae family, genus Liriodendron, native to eastern North America. In its native habitat, it reaches 45-60 meters tall, growing to 20-30 meters in Japan. In early summer, it produces single tulip-shaped flowers about 6cm in diameter with greenish-yellow color at branch tips. With 3 sepals and 6 long oval petals, the yellowish-green flowers with orange markings bloom upward. The leaves have unique shapes, earning alternative names like Hanten-boku, Gunbai-boku, and Yakko-tako-no-ki. It's also an important nectar source plant, and its wood is used for construction, furniture, and tools.

Trivia

  • Genus name Liriodendron means 'lily tree' in Greek
  • Species name tulipifera means 'tulip-bearing'
  • Named by Emperor Taisho in 1890 in Japan
  • Adopted as state tree in some American states

Uses

Ornamental
  • Park trees
  • Street trees
  • Garden trees
  • Memorial trees
Medicinal
  • Used in North American indigenous traditional medicine

Caution: Professional guidance required for medicinal use

Culinary

Other
  • Construction timber
  • Furniture wood
  • Nectar source plant
  • Lumber industry

Toxicity

Symptoms: