花言葉 (language of flowers)

• berry plant
  • イチゴ (strawberry) - あなたは私を喜ばせる (“you make me happy”)
  • シャリンバイ (sharinbai) - そよ風の心地よさ (“the comfort of a gentle breeze”)
    • it blooms from may to june, and in autumn it bears small, blueberry-like fruits (mostly ornamental).
  • ホオズキ (hozuki) - 心の平安 (“peace of mind”)
    • another ornamental berry. if you soak the hozuki fruits in water for about 10 days and then gently scrub them with a toothbrush, you’ll be left with a delicate skeleton of the veins, called 透かし鬼灯 (transparent hozuki). you can place an led inside to turn them into 鬼灯ランプ (hozuki lanterns).
• carnivorous plant
  • ウサギゴケ (rabbit moss) - 夢でもあなたを想う (“i think of you even in my dreams”)
• vine plant
  • カラスウリ (karasu-uri) - 男嫌い (“aversion to men”)
    • on summer nights, as if to avoid prying eyes, the karasu-uri flower blooms quietly…its appearance brings to mind a woman dressed in a lace gown, and you can’t help but gaze at it in fascination.
  • スウェーデンアイビー (swedish ivy) - 思いやり (“thoughtfulness”)
    • despite its name, it’s not actually ivy, nor is it from sweden. it’s part of the mint family and has a very faint minty scent.
  • ワイヤープランツ (creeping wire vine) - 憧れ (“longing”)