Magnolia (mokuren) (05)

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Magnolia (mokuren, Japan)

***** Location: Japan, worldwide
***** Season: Mid-Spring
***** Category: Plant

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Explanation

Magnolia, lily magnolia (mokuren 木蓮, 木蘭) Magnolia liliflora
Literally: Tree Lotus Flower, Tree Orchid.


The most cultivated version in Japan. With purple blossoms.

violet magnolia (shimokuren 紫木蘭) Lily magnolia blossoms
white magnolia (hakuren 白蘭）Magnolia denudata
Sarasa Mokuren (更紗木蓮)
Karasu Mokuren (烏木蓮)

Magnolia buds,
which are visible long before the fowers open, add a sence of the early spring to this flower.




The country of origin is China, but they have been introduced to Japan in the 10th century as a garden flower to enjoy in spring. The blossom has six petals, which get as long as 10 centimeters. They all point in the same direction when open. They have a faint smell of spring. The form of the blossom resembles the lotus, hence the Japanese name, which can be written with the Chinese characters　for lotus 蓮 or orchid 蘭.

The fallen petals create a violet carpet and evoke the feeling of sadness and passing on of life, some sort of "mono no aware".

The white magnolia, which flowers earlier, found its way to Europe in the 18th/19th century and became very popular soon. Magnolia is the English version of the word "mokuren"

Photos and text by Gabi Greve


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Worldwide use

USA

The magnolias in the southern USA, are similar to Big Fragrant Magnolia mentioned below, big petals creamy to milky white. The trees are considered one of the few broadleaf evergreens.

magnolia --
a pleasant scent
in the shade

Their large blossoms shed the palm sized petals looking like porcelan white giant Chinese soup spoons! Their blossoms' fragrance is delicate and pleasing on a sultry summer evening walk.

Chibi (Dennis Holmes)

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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

magnolia blossoms -
the sky today
without a blemish

Look at the corresponding photo by Gabi Greve here:
http://happyhaiku.blogspot.com/2005/05/magnolia.html

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mirroring
coromandel magnolia
in the fishpond

© Geert Verbeke
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far away beneath
the magnolia petals
the morning sun ~

Narayanan

Look at a beautiful photo at the Haiku Gallery
http://home.alc.co.jp/db/owa/PH_detail?photo_sn_in=1130

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blooming magnolia
girls fidget
for Easter pictures

Mary Gamble
http://www.millikin.edu/haiku/courses/globalspring2001/MaryGamble.html

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Ein Frühlingshauch der
Morgenröte färbte zart
die Magnolien.

a faint spring breeze
in the pink morning colors
the magnolia

Magnolien gehören mit zu den ersten Frühlingsblühern. Ich liebe ihre porzellanartigen, tulpenförmigen, pastellfarbigen Blüten.

Dietlinde Heider

Look at her German Akrostichon about MAGNOLIE
http://www.haikulinde.de/weblog/archives/00000102.htm

Great Photo of one blossom
by Brigitte Blechschmidt
http://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/mypics/442486/display/1286261

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Related words

***** Mountain Magnolia (kobushi,こぶし 辛夷 木筆) :
kigo for mid-spring
Magnolia kobus


http://www.salisbury.edu/arboretum/Magnolia/MaKo/MaKoHM.html

Other Japanese names:
Mountain Magnolia (yama kobushi 山辛夷、yama araragi やまあららぎ, shide kobushi しでこぶし)
Cherry for starting planting the fields (tauchi sakura 田打桜)

This variety is native to Japan. It grows in many mountainous areas. The name means litteraly: small fist, since the buds look like such. They are also used in Chinese medicine.

In my area of Okayama, the hot spring of Okutsu (奥津) celebrates its annual Kobushi Matsuri, the Wild Mountain Magnolia Festival during the first two weeks of April. The sight in the gorge with the steep cliffs shining white with all the flowering trees is superb.



http://www.tamatele.ne.jp/~hiroyuki-n/416-sinrinkouenn/4162-pronoazi.html

wild mountain magnolia -
the ravine alive with
car exhaust

There are so many people squeezing in the small ravine, it is amazing.

Gabi Greve

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*****Big Magnolia Flower (Hoo Flower 朴の花（ほおのはな) : kigo for early summer

Magnolia hypoleuca. The fragrant magnolia.


http://www010.upp.so-net.ne.jp/pha/flo0405hounoki.htm

This beautiful flower on its large leaves is a pleasure to find in any forest. Since the flowers sit on the large leaves, they are hard to detect and better viewed from far first. The contrast of the white flowers with the dark green leaves is splendid. The small petals in the center of the flower are also worth a second look.

It has a lovely smell and the leaves are used for fragrant teas and even bean paste (miso). The name HOO derives from "fragrance" 包.

The tree has a slightly white bark. The wood is soft and easy to process, it is used for wooden clogs Geta 下駄 and piano parts.

Gabi Greve

　　雷鳴のしづもる夜明け朴の花

early morning after
a night of thunder -
fragrant magnolia blossom

(Tr. Gabi Greve)

Haiku-An
http://www.dd.iij4u.or.jp/~haiku/natsu.html


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worldkigo@yahoo.com

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