Bush clover (hagi)

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Bush clover (hagi 　萩　はぎ)

***** Location: Japan, other areas
***** Season: Early autumn and see below
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation



Lespedeza is a genus of about 30 species of flowering plants in the pea family Fabaceae, commonly known as Bush clover or Japanese clover. The genus is native to warm temperate to subtropical regions of eastern North America, eastern and southern Asia and Australasia.

　© Read more in the WIKIPEDIA !
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Bush clover is one of the seven plants of autumn in Japanese culture. Although it is a tree and not a weed or herb, it is listed as the first autumn plant. See below.
It is said the Chinese character for this tree　萩 with flowers on top of autumn, has been made in Japan. It is the most characteristic plant of autumn in Japan.

Seven Flowers of Autumn (aki no nanakusa).. Seven Herbs of Autumn


kigo for early autumn

viewing bush clover, hagi mi 萩見（はぎみ）
first bush clover, hatsu hagi 初萩（はつはぎ)
flower of the bush clover, hagi no hana 萩の花（はぎのはな）

mountain bush clover, yamahagi 山萩（やまはぎ）

"deer crying plant", shika nakigusa 鹿鳴草（しかなきぐさ）
... shika tsumagusa 鹿妻草（しかつまぐさ）

"treasure viewing plant" tamami gusa 玉見草（たまみぐさ）
"garden viewing plant", niwami gusa 庭見草（にわみぐさ）
"first viewing plant", hatsumi gusa 初見草（はつみそう）

wild bush clover, nohagi 野萩（のはぎ）

white bush clover, shirohagi 白萩（しろはぎ）
small bush clover, kohagi 小萩（こはぎ）
"real buch clover" mahagi 真萩（まはぎ）

bush clover scattering, hagi chiru 萩散る（はぎちる）
... kobore hagi 、こぼれ萩（こぼれはぎ）
... midare hagi 乱れ萩（みだれはぎ）

field with bush clover, hagiwara 萩原（はぎわら）
This is also a common family name in Japan.

door with bush clover, hagi no to 萩の戸（はぎのと）
lodging with bush clover, hagi no yado 、萩の宿（はぎのやど）
owner of the bush clover, hagi no aruji、萩の主（はぎのあるじ）


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kigo for late autumn

cutting bush clover, hagi karu 萩刈る はぎかる
... hagi kari 萩刈（はぎかり）



kigo for all winter

withered bush clover, karehagi 枯萩 かれはぎ
... hagi karu 萩枯る（はぎかる）




©　PHOTO Masaji


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kigo for late summer

natsu hagi 夏萩 (なつはぎ) bush clover in summer
aohagi 青萩 （あおはぎ） green bushclover

Some bushclover like the Miyagi nohagi 宮城野萩 in Sendai start flowering in July and June.
They are also called

inugagi 犬萩 "dog bush clover"
Lespedeza tomentosa
nekohagi 猫萩 "cat bush clover"
Lespedeza pilosa





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Famous Bush Clover Temples in Japan

Hokaiji Temple, Kamakura
Hagidera : Ryugenji Temple



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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way

from the Manyoo-Shuu (万葉集)

Flowers blossoming
in autumn fields -
when I count them on my fingers
they then number seven.

The flowers of bush clover,
eulalia, arrowroot,
pink, patrinia,
also, mistflower
and morning faces flower.

Yamanoue Okura (C. 660 - 733)
Manyoshu: 8:1537-8

Read more about the seven plants of Autum, from the point of view of the Tea Ceremony of Urasenke
http://urasenke.org/flowers/

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Wid Boar and Bush Clover, Hagi ni Inoshishi　萩にいのしし
Japanese Flower Trump (Hanafuda) and haiku



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Hagi is a town in Western Japan, famous for its pottery.



Hagi Ware
by Robert Yellin

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HAIKU




狗のかざしにしたり萩の花
enokoro no kazashi ni shitari hagi no hana

a great decoration
for the puppy -
bush clover blossoms

Issa
Tr. Gabi Greve



御馬の屁ながれけり萩の花
on-uma no he nagare keri hagi no hana

Sir Horse's fart
wafting over...
blooming bush clover



きたないといふまま萩の咲にけり
kitanai to iu mama hagi no saki ni keri

down and dirty
just as is...
bush clover blooms

More ISSA haiku, tr. David Lanoue

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波の間や小貝にまじる萩の塵
nami no ma ya kogai ni majiru hagi no chiri

In the surf
Mingled with small shells
Petals of the bush clover

Matsuo Basho in 1689 on his travels to the North
Translated by R.H. Blyth in "Haiku" (Hokuseido Press)


Between wave & wave:
mixed with small shells, the remains
of bush-clover bloom.

Mingled with tiny shells
I saw scattered petals
Of bush-clovers
Rolling with the waves.

©　Kojima Nobuo



Between the waves:
mixed in with little shells,
shreds of bush-clover
Tr. Hiroaki Sato



Henderson translates 'chiri' as "rubbish."
Ueda translates it as "debris."
Barnhill translates it as "dust."


. Matsuo Basho in Tsuruga

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Related words

***** Seven Herbs of Autumn

***** Bush Clover and White Dew (shiratsuyu)
Matsuo Basho


. PLANTS - - - the Complete SAIJIKI . 　


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