tsubo sumire

Tsubosumire is a perennial herb native to Japan. It is often found in damp places in the mountains. The flowers are white, the leaves and stems are green, and the thallus is white to green. The Japanese name tsubo, read tsubo, means garden. It is also called "nyoisumire" (meaning "violet" in Japanese) because the shape of its leaves resembles a nyoi, a Buddhist ritual utensil held by monks. The language of flowers, "thinking of the departed," is derived from a poem by Fujiwara no Kimizane Haru, entitled "Once upon a time I saw my sister Imo, but the hedge was in disrepair, with only the violet violets mixed with thatch flowers and bristles" (When I visited my wife's house, where I ...View all