September 01

Birth Flower

Spiderwort
Common spiderwort Dayflower

Scientific Name: Tradescantia ohiensis
Family: Commelinaceae

Flower Language

  • respect
  • momentary happiness
  • I respect you
  • cheerfulness

Characteristics

Colors: purple

Description

Spiderwort is a garden plant native to North America, belonging to the Commelinaceae family as a cold-hardy evergreen perennial. Several flowers bloom in cymes at the stem tips, flowering one at a time. The beautiful three-petaled purple flowers are day bloomers that wilt in the afternoon, but new flowers continue to bloom daily from June to July. It was introduced to Japan during the Meiji period and is now widely loved as an ornamental plant. Because the flowers wilt in a day, it earned the flower language of 'momentary happiness,' and its vigorous habit of continuously producing new flowers gave it the meaning 'I respect you.'

Trivia

  • The English name Spiderwort comes from the mucilage that appears like spider silk when the stem is cut
  • About 200 varieties exist, offering diverse colors as garden cultivars
  • Though day bloomers, continuous bud opening allows long-term flower enjoyment
  • Native Americans used the stem mucilage to treat insect bites

Uses

Ornamental
  • Ground cover in gardens
  • Border garden coloring
  • Potted ornamental plant
Medicinal
  • Historical use in folk medicine

Caution: Currently used mainly for ornamental purposes; consult experts for medicinal use

Culinary

Other

Toxicity

Symptoms:

Impatiens
Busy Lizzie Touch-me-not African Balsam

Scientific Name: Impatiens walleriana
Family: Balsaminaceae

Flower Language

  • don't be fickle
  • vivid person
  • abundance
  • strong personality

Characteristics

Colors: various colors

Description

Impatiens is an annual herb native to Zanzibar Island in tropical Africa, belonging to the Balsaminaceae family. The name comes from the English 'impatient,' referring to how the seed pods burst open with a snap. With temperatures above 20°C, flowers can be enjoyed year-round, making them widely used in pots, hanging baskets, and flower beds. Flower colors are extremely diverse including red, pink, orange, and white, with varieties ranging from single to double blooms and even rose-like flowering forms. They bloom continuously from May to October and are valued as precious plants that flower vigorously even in hot summers. They can grow in partial shade, making cultivation possible even in poorly lit locations.

Trivia

  • The scientific name 'Impatiens' originates from Latin meaning 'impatient'
  • When mature seeds are touched, they burst with a 'pop' sound, scattering seeds
  • Called the 'Queen of Shade' as it blooms beautifully even in partial shade without much sunlight
  • One of the world's most popular summer garden plants with hundreds of varieties

Uses

Ornamental
  • Flower bed coloring
  • Potted ornamental
  • Hanging baskets
  • Main plant in mixed plantings
Medicinal

Caution: Use as ornamental plant only

Culinary

Other

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: whole plant

Symptoms: May cause skin irritation upon contact

Balloon flower
Chinese bellflower Platycodon

Scientific Name: Platycodon grandiflorus
Family: Campanulaceae

Flower Language

  • eternal love
  • unchanging love
  • sincerity
  • nobility
  • purity

Characteristics

Colors: purple

Description

Kikyo is a perennial herb belonging to the Campanulaceae family, native to East Asia including Japan, China, and the Korean Peninsula. The scientific name Platycodon grandiflorus means 'broad bell' in Greek, derived from the flower's shape. The buds are balloon-shaped, giving rise to the English name 'Balloon flower.' The flower crown is broadly bell-shaped with five lobes, producing beautiful star-shaped flowers 4-5cm in diameter. Flower colors are diverse including purple, blue-purple, white, and pink, with blooming period from mid-June to September. Long beloved by Japanese as one of the seven autumn flowers, it appears in the Manyoshu poetry collection. While wild species are designated as endangered, numerous garden varieties exist, and it's used in the kikyo family crest. A characteristic feature is the white sap that emerges when stems or leaves are cut.

Trivia

  • Famous for Akechi Mitsuhide's family crest 'Kikyo-mon,' beloved by samurai families since the Warring States period
  • Called 'Balloon flower' because buds swell like balloons
  • Referred to as 'asagao' in the Manyoshu, different from the current morning glory
  • Wild kikyo is designated as Vulnerable (VU) on the Ministry of Environment's Red List

Uses

Ornamental
  • Garden ornamental
  • Cut flowers
  • Potted cultivation
  • Tea ceremony flowers
Medicinal
  • Used in traditional Chinese medicine for cough and phlegm treatment
  • Platycodon saponins in roots are the active medicinal components

Caution: Platycodon saponins are toxic; consult experts for medicinal use

Culinary
  • young leaves
  • roots
Other
  • Family crest design
  • Decorative patterns

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Moderate

Toxic Parts: roots, whole plant

Symptoms: Dangerous if consumed in large quantities without proper processing due to hemolytic effects of platycodon saponins

Tiger lily
Tiger flower Shell flower

Scientific Name: Tigridia pavonia
Family: Iridaceae

Flower Language

  • love me
  • feel proud
  • vivid scene
  • help me

Characteristics

Colors: tiger-spotted

Description

Tiger lily (Tigridia) is a bulbous plant of the Iridaceae family native to Mexico and Guatemala. The genus name Tigridia derives from Tigris (meaning tiger), referring to the tiger spots on the flowers. Named 'Tiger lily' because the flower patterns resemble 'tiger spots' and the plant's appearance is similar to lilies. Each flower blooms for only one day, but new flowers continue to open in succession. Flowers consist of three large outer tepals and three small inner tepals, with beautiful tiger-like spotted patterns in the center. Colors are diverse including red, orange, yellow, white, and pink, blooming from summer to autumn. As a bulbous plant, it goes dormant in winter and produces new shoots in spring.

Trivia

  • Called 'Tiger flower' in English due to the tiger-like spotted patterns
  • Multiple flower stems emerge from one bulb, blooming in succession
  • Called 'Ocelotlixochitl' in Aztec civilization and considered sacred
  • Introduced to Japan during the Meiji period and loved as an exotic bulbous plant

Uses

Ornamental
  • Garden ornamental
  • Cut flowers
  • Potted cultivation
Medicinal

Caution: Use as ornamental plant only

Culinary

Other

Toxicity

Symptoms: