November 27

Birth Flower

Ornamental Kale
Flowering Kale Cabbage Plant Ornamental Cabbage

Scientific Name: Brassica oleracea var. acephala
Family: Brassicaceae

Flower Language

  • profit
  • blessing
  • charitable love
  • wrapping love

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Ornamental Kale is a decorative plant from the Brassica genus native to the Mediterranean coast of Europe. A member of the cabbage family, it was developed from non-heading kale varieties. Introduced to Japan during the Edo period as a food crop, it was later improved for ornamental purposes. Named 'Habotan' (leaf peony) because its leaves resemble peony flowers. With beautiful leaf colors in red, white, and pink, its prime viewing season is from November to March in winter. Highly cold-resistant and maintaining beautiful leaf colors even in midwinter, it's beloved as a staple for New Year decorations and winter gardening. It appeared in Yamato Honzo (1709) under the name 'Oranda-na,' indicating its presence in Japan at that time.

Trivia

  • Introduced to Japan as 'Oranda-na' during Edo period
  • Now primarily ornamental rather than edible kale
  • Beautiful coloration enhanced by low temperatures
  • Related to cabbage and broccoli

Uses

Ornamental
  • New Year decorations
  • Winter garden planting
  • Container arrangements
  • Potted plants
  • Gate pine decorations
Medicinal
  • No specific medicinal properties

Caution: For ornamental purposes only, not suitable for medicinal use

Culinary
  • Leaves
Other
  • Horticultural education material
  • Main plant for winter gardening
  • Subject of breeding research

Toxicity

Symptoms:

Chrysanthemum
Mum Florist's Chrysanthemum

Scientific Name: Chrysanthemum morifolium
Family: Asteraceae

Flower Language

  • I love you
  • nobility
  • refinement
  • integrity

Characteristics

Colors: red

Description

Chrysanthemum is a perennial plant from the Chrysanthemum genus native to China, believed to have originated from natural hybridization between Dendranthema indicum and Dendranthema zawadskii around the 5th-6th centuries in China. Introduced to Japan from late Nara to early Heian period, it was widely cultivated for ornamental purposes. It became the imperial emblem when Emperor Go-Toba used it on his personal items during the Kamakura period, still known today as the 16-petal chrysanthemum crest. During the Edo period, nearly 500 varieties existed, and today there are approximately 20,000 cultivated varieties worldwide. Various lineages exist including large, medium, small, and Western chrysanthemums, with red chrysanthemums specifically meaning 'I love you.' In China, it's considered a sacred herb for longevity, and drinking chrysanthemum wine on the Double Ninth Festival (September 9th) is traditional.

Trivia

  • Approximately 20,000 cultivated varieties exist worldwide
  • Chrysanthemum crest used on 500 yen coin as imperial symbol
  • Chrysanthemum wine drinking custom in China
  • Sometimes considered one of Japan's national flowers

Uses

Ornamental
  • Cut flowers
  • Potted plants
  • Garden planting
  • Buddhist altar flowers
  • Exhibition flowers
Medicinal
  • Used in traditional Chinese medicine for fever reduction
  • Effective for eye fatigue
  • Has anti-inflammatory properties

Caution: Medicinal use requires expert knowledge

Culinary
  • Petals
Other
  • Imperial ceremony decorations
  • Cultural symbolic use
  • Natural dye applications

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Mild

Toxic Parts: Leaves, Stems

Symptoms: May cause dermatitis or allergic reactions

Dendrobium Phalaenopsis
Denphale Cooktown Orchid Moth Orchid Dendrobium

Scientific Name: Dendrobium phalaenopsis
Family: Orchidaceae

Flower Language

  • selfish beauty
  • fascination
  • natural beauty

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Denphale, formally known as Dendrobium phalaenopsis, is an epiphytic orchid from the Dendrobium genus native to New Guinea and northern Australia. Named for its flowers' resemblance to Phalaenopsis orchids. The name Dendrobium derives from Greek 'dendro' (tree) and 'bium' (living), reflecting its epiphytic nature growing on trees in the wild. It produces erect flower stems from the top of elongated pseudobulbs, bearing flowers very similar to moth orchids. With over 40,000 varieties, flower colors include white, pink, purple, yellow, and many others. Highly valued as cut flowers due to excellent keeping quality of 2-4 weeks, also used for Buddhist altars and as edible flowers.

Trivia

  • Over 40,000 varieties exist
  • Exceptionally long-lasting flowers for 2-4 weeks
  • Phalaenopsis means 'moth-like'
  • Also distributed as edible flowers

Uses

Ornamental
  • Cut flowers
  • Potted plants
  • Bouquets
  • Corsages
  • Buddhist altar flowers
Medicinal
  • No specific medicinal properties

Caution: For ornamental purposes only, not suitable for medicinal use

Culinary
  • Petals
Other
  • Horticultural research material
  • Parent stock for breeding
  • Exhibition flowers for orchid shows

Toxicity

Symptoms:

Lupine
Lupin Russell Lupine Bluebonnet

Scientific Name: Lupinus polyphyllus
Family: Fabaceae

Flower Language

  • many friends
  • imagination
  • always happy

Characteristics

Colors:

Description

Lupine is a plant from the Lupinus genus with about 200 species distributed across western North America, South America, South Africa, and the Mediterranean coast. The name derives from Latin 'lupus' meaning wolf, as the plant's ability to thrive in barren land resembled a wolf's voracious nature. Most cultivated varieties are Russell Lupines, hybrid cultivars centered on Lupinus polyphyllus native from California to Canada. From late April to June, it produces beautiful flower spikes reaching 60-70cm tall in diverse colors including purple, red, pink, orange, yellow, and white. Used as green manure since ancient Greece, it improves soil through nitrogen fixation via symbiosis with root nodule bacteria.

Trivia

  • Used as green manure since ancient Greece
  • Texas state flower Bluebonnet is a lupine species
  • Soaking seeds overnight improves germination rate
  • Fixes nitrogen through symbiosis with root nodule bacteria

Uses

Ornamental
  • Flower beds
  • Cut flowers
  • English gardens
  • Border gardens
Medicinal
  • Used medicinally in ancient Europe
  • Not commonly used medicinally today

Caution: Avoid medicinal use as some species are toxic

Culinary
  • Seeds (certain varieties)
Other
  • Green manure crop
  • Soil improvement
  • Nitrogen fixation
  • Soy allergy substitute food

Toxicity

Toxicity Level: Moderate

Toxic Parts: Seeds (certain varieties), Leaves

Symptoms: Alkaloid poisoning may cause breathing difficulties and convulsions