Spring is a very colourful season in Japan; blankets of bright shrubs and flowers catch the eye everywhere, even aside from the
sakura and ubiquitous tulips and daffodils. The latter is called
suisen or 水仙 in Japanese (and Chinese) which mysteriously means water-hermit! The picture below shows (right) Kerria Japonica (
yamabuki) or Japanese yellow rose, (middle) dame's rocket/gilliflower (
hana-daikon), and (left) spring-star or spring-star flower (
hana-nira). The first is a golden yellow shrub native to Asia but named after a Scottish gardener (William Kerr). The second, is considered a weed in some places; the name
hana-daikon supposedly comes from the fact (?) that the flowers resembles a
daikon (white-radish). The third is a small white flower with six petals like a star with a distinct purple line down the centre of each petal. It is apparently related to onions and gives off an onion-like smell if crushed!
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| From left to right: springstar/spring-star flower, dame's rocket/gilliflower, and Kerria (Japonica) |
